Nycomed Acquires Majority Stake in Guangdong Techpool Bio-Pharma

Nycomed has announced that it is significantly expanding its presence in China through the acquisition of a majority stake in Guangdong Techpool Bio-Pharma Co, Ltd (Techpool), a fastgrowing Chinese bio-pharmaceutical company based in Guangdong. Techpool, founded in 1993, specialises in the research, development, manufacturing and marketing of biologic drugs derived from natural sources. Techpool’s products are sold across China and exported to a number of countries and regions, including Japan and South Korea. The company has built a strong intellectual property position, with 35 patents filed, of which 17 have already been granted, including one US patent approval. Shanghai Pharmaceutical Group, a leading Chinese pharmaceutical conglomerate, holds 40.8% of the shares of Techpool and has previously been the majority shareholder.

Nycomed believes there is significant potential for the continued strong growth of Techpool’s key products through expanded hospital and reimbursement coverage in China. While Nycomed China and Techpool will be run as separate companies, value will be created through various forms of alliances between the two entities. The two companies will continue to expand their footprint in China and will focus their efforts around five core brands: Ulinastatin, Kallikrein, Pantoloc®, Ebrantil® and Actovegin®.

Håkan Björklund, CEO of Nycomed, said: “The acquisition of the majority stake in Techpool provides us with a unique opportunity to strengthen our business in China, one of the world’s fastest-growing pharmaceutical markets. Techpool’s specialty franchise is highly complementary to Nycomed’s development strategy and will become a cornerstone of our international expansion in emerging markets.”

Commenting on today’s announcement, Liew Yew Looi, Senior Vice President for Nycomed North Asia, said: “The partnership with Techpool will significantly accelerate our aim of becoming a leading player in the North Asian market including China. My team at Nycomed and I look forward to working closely with Dr Fu and his organisation to achieve this goal.”