Siegfried Group has acquired Hameln Pharma in Germany, consisting of Hameln Pharmaceuticals and Hameln RDS, with effect from end November 2014. Hameln Pharma is located in the city of Hamelin and active in the development and production of sterile liquid pharmaceutical products for international pharma companies; the Siegfried Group will therefore considerably strengthen its sterile filling segment. Under terms of the acquisition agreement, Siegfried will take over the entire staff of approx. 500 employees. To date Hameln Pharma was a part of the privately held Hameln Group. For 2014, Hameln Pharma expects sales of approx. CHF 85 million. The purchase price amounts to CHF 60 million.

An attractive complement

Hameln Pharma was founded in 1950 and goes back to the "Raths-Apotheke" in Hamelin, family-owned since 1890. The company began focusing on the production of parenteral products in 1970. It produces sterile liquid drugs filled in ampoules or vials for international pharmaceutical companies. The focus of its activities is on the production of demanding compounds, such as anesthetics. To supplement its core business of contract manufacturing, Hameln Pharma offers a portfolio of accompanying services ranging from product and method development to dossier compilation and registration services. In 2008, Hameln Pharma´s new sterile facility was put into operation, which in 2009 has been awarded the internationally renowned "Facility of the Year Award" in the category Operational Excellence.

Planned expansion of activities

Thanks to the sterile facility, the combined company now has at its disposal an innovative, efficient and flexible production plant capable of producing sterile drugs under state-of-the-art conditions for the entire world. In the future, Siegfried will continue to invest in these technologies at both of its sites - Irvine and Hamelin - and in the coming years move forward especially the production of vials in Hamelin.

Another significant strategy project

With this acquisition, Siegfried has implemented its Transform strategy regarding both forward and backward integration. In 2012, Siegfried acquired Alliance Medical Products in Irvine, California, active in a comparable market segment as Hameln Pharma. In October 2014, operating approval was granted for the new chemical production plant for active pharmaceutical ingredients in Nantong, China. This Siegfried site has a chemical-pharmaceutical capacity of over 300 m³. At its headquarters in Zofingen, Switzerland, Siegfried is currently building a chemical production plant with a capacity of 100 m³ which from mid-2015 will replace older and less efficient facilities.

Future of the Hameln Group

The Hameln Group with its remaining subsidiaries will in future focus on their worldwide business activities with their own brand of injectable pharmaceutical finished products. The research and development site in Slovakia will also remain in the possession of the Group.