CMO wins best ‘new partnership, merger or acquisition’ award for its work in successfully integrating three European sites
Newcastle, 29 October, 2012: Aesica, the global contract manufacturing organisation (CMO), announces that it has won the European Outsourcing award for ‘best acquisition’ following the successful acquisition and integration of three different UCB sites – at Monheim and Zwickau in Germany, and Pianezza in Italy in 2011.
The acquisition enabled both companies to concentrate on their growth areas and included a strategic partnership guaranteeing a secure pipeline of work and job security for staff. In the year since the facilities were acquired by Aesica the Company has been able to increase productivity across all sites and has delivered significant growth with the addition of 12 new clients.
The acquisition of the UCB sites follows the integration of R5 Pharmaceuticals in 2010 and has enabled a transformational stage in the Company’s development, with sales growing over 37% in the last two years, and turnover predicted to grow from $180 million (2011) to $270 million by the end of the year.
The unprecedented success of these acquisitions has been down to the successful integration of new staff into the Aesica culture and the discipline in targeting sites that complement existing facilities and provide secure manufacturing contracts. A key feature of the integration programme was the introduction of Aesica ambassadors across all three European sites that facilitated the transition process by identifying cultural gaps and opportunities where new business could be developed.
Simon Clough, Managing Director of Formulated Products, and a key figure in the successful integration process, added: “This award is the culmination of the team’s hard work over the last few years in helping deliver on the company vision to be the number one supplier of APIs and formulated products to the pharmaceutical industry. But it’s not simply a case of identifying sites and doubling your capacity. What has enabled the smooth transfer of capabilities has been the workshops, site visits and integration programmes put in place to identify any issues and tackle sensitivities quickly and efficiently. Another landmark element of these deals was the strategic partnership entered into with UCB for guaranteed long-term supply agreements. This has provided UCB continuity of product and enabled Aesica to build up the sites’ capacity from a secure base. It has rightly been identified as a benchmark acquisition and we will look to use the same model and strategy in the next few years to continue our exponential growth stage.”
About Aesica:
Aesica supplies contract development and contract manufacturing services for Formulated Products and Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients to a host of the world’s leading pharmaceutical companies and emerging biotechnology organisations.
Its unique offer lies in its flexible and bespoke approach to service delivery, coupled with its ability to develop products from the initial clinical stage through to final commercial supply. It is this all-encompassing offer and its dedication to exceptional standards of service that truly sets Aesica apart from its counterparts.
• Aesica is one of the UK’s fastest growing companies and over the last five years has more than trebled its turnover.
• The company currently employs approximately 1,300 people.
• In addition to its headquarters in Newcastle upon Tyne, UK, Aesica has development and manufacturing sites across Europe including Cramlington, Nottingham and Queenborough in the UK, as well as sites in Monheim and Zwickau in Germany and Pianezza in Italy. It also has sales representation in San Diego and Shanghai.
• Aesica’s vision is to become the number one supplier of APIs and formulated products to the pharmaceutical industry
For media enquiries, please contact Tristan Jervis on +44 (0) 207 981 3019 or e-mail; t.jervis@defacto.com or Alex Heeley on +44 (0) 207 861 3043; e-mail; a.heeley@defacto.com.
