Almirall Prodesfarma establishes its presence in France with the acquisition of Pharmafarm laboratories.
Almirall Prodesfarma acquires this pharmaceutical organisation belonging to the company Halisol and GDS, with an annual turnover of 6,000 million pesetas (36 million Euros).
Almirall Prodesfarma, the first Spanish multinational pharmaceutical company announced today its acquisition of the French pharmaceutical company belonging to the company Halisol and to Mr. Gilles de Suyrot. This purchase is in line with the company's aim of consolidating its international expansion in the principal pharmaceutical markets by way of an own presence strategy.
Pharmafarm is a pharmaceutical company whose headquarters are in Paris and that has an annual turnover in France of 240 million francs (6,000 million pesetas) (36 million Euros) along with an additional export activity. It currently employs 130 people and commercialises a range of products belonging mainly to the gastrointestinal, antibiotic, anti-hypertension and cerebral-vascular areas. These are areas in which Almirall Prodesfarma is a leader of acclaimed repute.
The French pharmaceutical market has a volume three times higher than the Spanish and comes fourth in terms of global importance after the United States, Japan and Germany.
Doctor Jorge Gallardo, president and chief executive officer of Almirall Prodesfarma, said: "It is gratifying to be able to make progress in our international expansion with this operation in such an important market as the French and through a company with which we share a very similar vision of the pharmaceutical market. This acquisition also represents a step forward for the Spanish pharmaceutical industry".
Pharmafarm and the French pharmaceutical market Pharmafarm has a renown team of professionals and broad knowledge of the French medical-health sector. Almirall Prodesfarma is shortly intending to introduce into France two own research and development products, ebastine (antihistaminic) and almotriptan (anti-migraine). The acquisition of Pharmafarm is therefore a strategic move that will immediately provide Almirall Prodesfarma with an efficient vehicle for commercialising these important products.
With Pharmafarm integrated into Almirall Prodesfarma, the new French affiliate will become the most important of the group followed by Portugal and Belgium. Likewise, during 2001, the company is expecting to consolidate the operations started in the previous financial year in The Netherlands and Mexico.
Almirall Prodesfarma increases sales in 2000 by 12.4 %
Almirall Prodesfarma is present in over 80 countries worldwide through strategic alliances with leading companies that commercialise its main own research products. An example of this is the latest own R&D launch of the anti-migraine Almogran (almotriptan), the first own research Spanish product to receive approval by the FDA (Food and Drug Administration) to be commercialised in the United States through Pharmacia. Almotriptan is also being commercialised in Great Britain and Scandinavia through Lundbeck and in Germany through Bayer.
Almirall Prodesfarma's product sales turnover for the recently ended fiscal year 2000, at ex-factory price, rose to 102,741 million pesetas (618 million Euros), an increase of 12.4% compared to 1999.
This turnover includes sales of its products in the national market, which reached 63,001 million pesetas (379 million Euros); and those of the international market through own commercialisation or through licensees, which increased to 39,740 million pesetas (239 million Euros).
Investment in research and development throughout 2000 totalled 7,050 million pesetas (42 million Euros), a 25% increase compared to the 1999 financial year. For the current year this entry is expected to rise to 10,000 million pesetas (60 million Euros). Its overall forecast in this area for the next five years is 60,000 million pesetas (over 350 million Euros).
Almirall Prodesfarma, leading Spanish multinational pharmaceutical company
The main aim of Almirall Prodesfarma, S.A., the first Spanish multinational pharmaceutical company, is to provide society with innovative drugs to combat discomfort and disease, thus helping to improve quality of life. To this end, it constantly devotes the maximum human and financial resources to researching new products.
The company's main research fields fall within the areas related to the treatment of asthma, allergies, dermatitis, arthritis, cardiovascular diseases, gastrointestinal disorders and migraine.
It has a staff of 2,300 people of whom over 300 work in R&D activities. It also has five manufacturing plants in the Barcelona area, branch offices in the main cities of Spain and subsidiaries in Europe and Latin America. Its annual output stands at 75 million units and its own R&D products are marketed in over 80 countries around the world.