October 21, 2014
By Mark Terry, BioSpace.com Breaking News Staff
Several companies are rumored to be competing to acquire Omega Pharma, the fastest growing consumer healthcare company in the U.K. and Ireland, reports Bloomberg.
The news services cited unnamed sources in an article today that Actavis is joining Perrigo Co. , Sanofi and Boehringer Ingelheim in attempts to acquire Omega.
The unnamed sources indicated that the sale could run to about $5.1 billion. Actavis stock increased by 2 percent in early morning trading Tuesday.
Headquartered in London and Omega has been in existence since 1987 and has about 2,500 employees.
Omega is currently operating in 35 countries and specializing in over-the-counter medications. Recently the company acquired Warman-Freed pharmacy in Golders Green to transform it into a “learning pharmacy.”
This apparently was done with the intention of gaining market information about OTC shoppers.
“This initiative isn’t about Omega Pharma’s commercial strategy,” said Neil Lister, Omega Pharma UK’s general manager in a statement. “This is about driving positive change for the industry as a whole so that together we can make sophisticated and evidence-based business decisions centred on pharmacy retailers and the patient.”
Advantis, headquartered in Dublin, Ireland and Parsippany, N.J., focuses on developing, manufacturing and commercializing affordable generic and branded pharmaceutical products worldwide. It markets about 1,000 brands in more than 60 countries.
Earlier this month Actavis announced it would acquire Chicago-based Durata Therapeutics, Inc. for approximately $675 million.
Durata markets DALVANCE (dalbavancin) for injection, the only IV antibiotic for acute bacterial skin and skin structure infections. DALVANCE was approved by the FDA on May 23, 2014.
Actavis reportedly approached Allergan Inc. , maker of Botox, for acquisition this summer. Allergan has been involved in a lengthy battle with Valeant Pharmaceuticals International, Inc. and Pershing Square Capital Management that has included Valeant and Pershing being investigated by the Securities and Exchange Commission for insider trading.
Omega Pharma recently announced it had overtaken Bayer to become the fourth largest U.K. consumer healthcare company.
“Taking the number four spot has always been an important milestone for us and we are delighted that the hard work, dedication and game-changing attitude of our employers and our partners has made this a reality,” said Neil Lister, general manager of Omega’s U.K. business in a press release. “We firmly believe that putting pharmacists and retailers at the centre of our business has allowed us to climb from 13th position to fourth in just three years.”
The company’s OTC products include drugs for weight loss (XLS-Medical), hay fever (Prevalin Allergy, Beconase, BecoAllergy), pain relief (Solpadeine), dermatology (Dermalex) and head lice (Lyclear).
