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African Drug Maker Buying U.S.-owned Merck Plant, Offices In Netherlands, U.S.

African Drug Maker Buying U.S.-owned Merck Plant, Offices In Netherlands, U.S.

South Africa-based Aspen Pharmacare announced plans to buy a pharmaceutical plant in the Netherlands from U.S. drug maker Merck with satellite facilities and sales office in the U.S. as part of a $1 billion deal, according to a report at FoxBusiness.com.

Included in the purchase is an option to buy a portfolio of 11 drug brands from Merck, purchase of an active pharmaceutical ingredient manufacturing business in Oss, Netherlands, and facilities in Sioux City, Iowa, and Des Plaines, Ill.

Africa’s biggest maker of generic drugs, Aspen is the ninth largest generic pharmaceutical company in the world, according to its website. 

The deal will help build Aspen’s presence in Europe, Latin America and Asia, the report says.

Final approval is pending from various competition authorities and the South African Reserve Bank, Aspen said in the report.

Earlier in June, Aspen announced plans to buy the Arixtra and Fraxiparine/Fraxodi brands of thrombosis drugs from GlaxoSMithKline, except in China, Pakistan and India, a deal that could also be worth $1 billion, according to FoxBusiness.com.

In Europe, Merck goes by the name MSD.

Aspen Pharmacare has 17 manufacturing facilities at 12 sites on six continents, including a presence in Australia, Hong Kong, Philippines, Kenya, Nigeria, Tanzania, Uganda, Dubai, Germany, Ireland, Mauritius, Brazil, Mexico and Venezuela.