Both acquisitions bring complementary, value-added and differentiated analytical, testing and development services for all stages of drug development and commercialisation
Aptar Group has acquired Nanopharm and Gateway Analytical for a combined enterprise value of approximately $50 million. The acquisitions are part of Aptar’s strategy to broaden its portfolio of services that support pharmaceutical and biotech customers to accelerate and derisk their complex product developments.
Both acquisitions bring complementary, value-added and differentiated analytical, testing and development services for all stages of drug development and commercialisation. The expanded services platform will enable Aptar Pharma to collaborate with customers to support their complex drug formulations and delivery requirements as they face increasingly competitive and regulated markets.
Nanopharm’s specialised contract research services complements Aptar Pharma’s existing broad range of analytical and product development services, and are directly aligned to Aptar Pharma’s device portfolio in nasal and inhaled products. Nanopharm’s goal is to enable and accelerate OINDPs’ seamless translation of pre-clinical development to clinical manufacture.
“We are pleased to welcome Nanopharm, their team of experts and their customers to Aptar Pharma and our services business,” commented Gael Touya, President, Aptar Pharma.
He further added, “This acquisition, which deepens our current range of services in inhalation, will enable us to provide additional cutting-edge science-based services focussed on further understanding and developing inhalation and nasal formulations.”
Nanopharm Founder and Chief Scientific Officer Professor Robert Price said, “In Aptar, we have found the ideal partner to continue the successful growth of Nanopharm. Aptar Group is perfectly positioned to support the development of our science-driven, solution-oriented services for inhalation and nasal drug products. This exciting new chapter in our development will allow us to deliver yet more as we leverage Aptar’s expertise and infrastructure to better serve our highly-valued clients.”
Chief Executive Officer Dr Jag Shur added, “Our decision to join forces with AptarGroup has been made very carefully indeed. This synergistic partnership and shared commitment to scientific excellence, will enable us to better serve our clients by offering a broader spectrum of innovative solutions and enhance our level of technical services going forward. The future of Nanopharm as part of the Aptar Group is very exciting indeed.”
Both Professor Price and Dr Shur will continue in their roles at Nanopharm post acquisition.
Apart from it, Gateway’s specialised analytical services complement Aptar Pharma’s existing broad range of analytical and testing services designed to proactively address regulatory needs to accelerate approval, launch and support post-marketing surveillance in the competitive pharmaceutical space. Gateway’s rigorous and customer-centric approach can help ensure that not only are regulatory guidelines met, but unnecessary and costly product withdrawals and potential harm to patients from particles avoided.
“We are also pleased to add Gateway Analytical, their team of experts and their customers to Aptar Pharma and our Services business,” commented Gael Touya, President, Aptar Pharma.
“This additional acquisition further broadens our expertise and plays a vital role in our strategy of continuing to provide reliable, high-quality, specialised analytical testing services to our customers, especially in injectables,” he added.
David Exline, President, Gateway Analytical, said, “We are delighted to join Aptar Pharma, a leader in the field of drug delivery devices and value-added services to their pharmaceutical customers.” He added, “With our combined resources and teams, we can offer customers a broader range of specialised and differentiated products and services, and maintain the superior level of service and quality they’ve been receiving from Gateway Analytical. In addition, our worldwide reach will be significantly enhanced with the leadership of Aptar Pharma.”
Nanopharm and Gateway will continue to operate as separate entities. They join Next Breath, a full-service cGMP compliant laboratory specialising in analytical testing which was acquired by Aptar Pharma in 2008, as part of Aptar Pharma services.
Stephan Tanda, President and CEO, Aptar, stated, “These strategic investments further strengthen our best-in-class pharma business and increase our ability to add to our long-term growth pipeline by adding depth to our service offerings. The expertise of two established leaders, Nanopharm — a leader in inhalation and nasal drug development services, and Gateway — a leader in particulate detection and analysis for the injectables market, are complementary to our existing laboratory and analytical services and will bring additional value to our customers as they navigate the challenging regulatory landscape and seek to bring their products to market faster.”