Sanofi sells Zentiva to Advent International?

Sanofi would be close to an agreement with the company private equity Advent International for the divestment of Zentiva, the European generics business unit. Cost of the operation: approximately 2 billion Euros. The word now passes to the board of directors of Sanofi, which could already approve the agreement at the meeting scheduled for the beginning of next week.

This news comes after the company's withdrawals were made official private equity Nordic Capital and the Indian pharmaceutical company Torrent Pharma, the latter more accredited for the acquisition than the others competitor. The sale of Zentiva is part of the pipeline rationalization plan started by Sanofi in 2016, with the disposal of Merial, the Animal Health Unit, subject to a asset swaps with Boehringer Ingelheim's Consumer Health.

A few days ago, a company spokesman announced the sale of 12 pharmaceutical brands not core to Cooper-Vemedia for 158 million euros.

Zentiva is present in 50 countries and grossed 760 million euros last year, 4.9% less than in 2016. In addition to selling, however, Sanofi, in the first quarter of the year, it also made acquisitions: biotech Ablynx for $4.8 billion and hemophilia drug maker Bioverativ for $11.6 billion.

Daily Health Industry – 17 aprile 2018

Related news: Shire, an Irish pharmaceutical company, to sell the oncology division to the French Servier for 2.4 billion

Drugs, big maneuvers for Novartis and Advent