Nepentes in talks to acquire new dermatology medicines

2010-02-03

Nepentes, the listed Polish maker and distributor of medicines and dermocosmetics, is in talks about buying licensing rights to several new dermatology drugs, which it plans to introduce on the market over the next two years, CEO Lukasz Butruk said in an interview with Stockwatch. He added that developing a portfolio of dermatology drugs was currently the company’s top priority, and that it planned to be present in all the major therapeutic segments of this market by 2012 and to introduce dermatology drugs also in foreign markets such as Romania, Bulgaria, Lithuania, Slovakia and the Czech Republic. In the words of Butruk, this goal would be achieved mainly through acquisitions of licensing rights rather than via mergers and acquisitions, although the latter could be an option as regards extending geographical coverage.
He identified two other pillars of growth for the company: expanding export sales of its own-brand products in Central and Eastern Europe, either through the establishment of own sales structures (as in Bulgaria or Romania) or through partnerships with local distributors (as in Russia); and development of innovative dermocosmetics that are an absolute novelty on the Polish market have the potential to create unique market niches.
Meanwhile, Nepentes is in the process of launching production at its new plant in Chociw (a former factory of infusion liquids in Lodzkie, bought from Baxter Polska). The company has already spent more than PLN 20m (€4.9m) to rejig the plant, which will raise its production capacity significantly. Butruk said that to ensure efficient capacity utilisation, the factory would also produce for drug makers under contract manufacturing agreements.