Novartis completes HMR fermentation plant buy

02 November 1998 11:15  [Source: ICIS news]

LONDON (CNI)--Swiss life sciences group Novartis said Monday it’s Austria-based pharmaceutical generics unit Biochemie has completed the acquisition of Hoechst Marion Roussel’s (HMR’s) Frankfurt fermentation plant.

First announced in February, the deal extends Biochemie’s product range and further strengthens its position as one of the world’s largest manufacturers of bulk antibiotics.

Financial details were not disclosed.

The Frankfurt site is a biotech production unit that manufactures fermentation products such as penicillin and intermediates for other antibiotics. With an annual turnover of about SF120m ($89m), it has a similar fermentation capacity to Biochemie’s Kundl plant.

Biochemie will revamp the 40-year-old facilities at Frankfurt and introduce new production technologies.

It has agreed to take over about 350 employees working in HMR’s fermentation group by 1999. No redundancies are envisaged, said Novartis.

Biochemie, which has a staff of around 1900, is Austria’s biggest pharmaceutical manufacturer and exporter. It is one of the largest manufacturers of oral and sterile penicillins, according to Novartis.

By: Neil Sinclair
+44 20 8652 3214

For the latest chemical news, data and analysis that directly impacts your business sign up for a free trial to ICIS news - the breaking online news service for the global chemical industry.

Get the facts and analysis behind the headlines from our market leading weekly magazine: sign up to a free trial to ICIS Chemical Business.

Printer Friendly