MILAN, 16 th December 2013 - Brussel-based private equity operator Ergon Capital Partners has announced it has entered in a contractual agreement with Deutsche Private Equity for the sell of the majority stake held in Zellbios, the Luxembourg-based leading manufacturer of niche Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients (APIs), mostly off-patent, serving the worldwide pharmaceutical market. With 700 employees, a turnover in excess of €130 million and production facilities in Germany (Raubling), Italy (Pavia) and India, Zellbios is the result of the merger of the italian Farmabios SpA and the german Pharmazell GmbH, two highly specialized API players, which has a unique competitive position allowing the company to establish itself as strong player in the global API industry:
- Farmabios: focuses on the production of highly specialized APIs, characterized by low volume, high margin and complexity: (i) sterile and non sterile steroids, (ii) sterile and non sterile cephalosporins, (iii) highly potent substances (HPS) and (ii) antineoplastics.
- Pharmazell focuses on the production of niche APIs, with a global leading market position and high entry barriers such as (i) 5-ASA derivatives and (ii) cysteine derivatives.
In August 2007, Ergon Capital Partners acquired Farmabios from its founders and, in 2011, acquired Pharmazell from Auctus Capital Partners and Lead Equities to form Zellbios. Back in September this year Bloomberg reported the transaction would be valued at almost €200 million ($271 million).