Date: 2014-07-31
Type of information: Company acquisition
Acquired company: Altacor (UK)
Acquiring company: Esperante (The Netherlands)
Amount: undisclosed
Terms: * On July 31, 2014, Esperante, a Netherlands-based life science investment company, announced that it has completed the acquisition of Altacor, a specialty ophthalmology company. Financial terms were not disclosed.
Details: Esperante is the investment arm of the C&P Group, a global, privately owned group of life science businesses including Nordic Pharma, a fully-integrated, pan-European pharmaceutical and services company, PolyPeptide Laboratories, a global peptide bulk drug actives producer and Euro-Diagnostica, a European-based immunology in vitro diagnostics business.
Under Esperante’s stewardship Altacor will continue to operate as a specialty ophthalmology company and expects to grow its revenues and market presence significantly by:
- expanding its commercial business and specifically the market share of its existing portfolio of Clinitas® products for dry eye, the blepharitis range (Blephakit®) and ocular supplements (Eyebar®) extending its geographic sales reach;
- adding to the marketing portfolio by the acquisition and in-licensing of novel ophthalmic therapies and surgical devices;
- adding to the marketing portfolio by advancing its current pipeline which is focused on fast to market, repositioned and orphan products; and
- leveraging opportunities within Esperante and its sister companies.
Altacor has eight products marketed in the UK and Ireland (Clinitas®, Clinitas® range, Blepharitis range and ocular supplements ) which are commercialised through its own sales and marketing organisation and network. Clinitas and Clinitas GEL are prescription products for the treatment of moderate dry eye. The Clinitas® range, comprising Clinitas Hydrate® and Clinitas Soothe® are also for treating the major causes of dry eye, and are sold to the retail market via pharmacists and opticians. The Blepharitis range loosens and removes Meibomian secretions, which underlie blepharitis.
Altacor is also present in the area of ocular supplements . EyeBar® is an innovative chocolate bar containing the well-established AREDS2 formula for the maintenance of healthy vision. The AREDs studies have shown that the combination of metals (zinc/copper), vitamins (Vitamin C and E) and macular pigments slows the progression of dry age related macular degeneration (AMD).
Related: Ophtalmological diseases Ophtalmology
