The SynerLAB Group has purchased Pharmaster, the French third party manufacturing leader in sterile, liquid preservative-free forms, with the aim of continuing its growth. Pharmaster thus becomes the group’s third production site in addition to the BTT and Sophartex laboratories. SynerLAB represents approximately 650 employees and has a turnover of nearly €85m. Pierre Banzet, Chairman of the Board of Directors declares: “Thanks to this transaction, the SynerLAB Group, which manufactures and provides customised packaging for medication in dry and liquid form,  reinforces its product portfolio and its international standing while filling a niche in an expanding sector of preservative-free sterile solutions. This pooling of resources emphasises the specialisation of the group, which is solely made up of companies whose trade has always been third party manufacturing and whose teams focus on customer service.”

Nicole Martin-Spittler, majority shareholder and Chairman of Pharmaster, becomes shareholder of SynerLAB and will preside over the group’s Board of Trustees from 1st July 2010. She said:  “I’m delighted to be associated with a group whose values I share and that will continue to develop Pharmaster by getting support from its current teams. I will continue to share my experience, notably commercially speaking, with the newly formed company.”  For her part, Claire Klopfenstein remains General Manager and Qualified Person of Pharmaster and joins SynerLAB’s board of directors.

The transaction was achieved thanks to the support provided by AXA Private Equity. Francois Jerphagnon, Managing Director and Alexis Lavaillote, Senior Investment Manager at AXA Private Equity, emphasise how satisfying it is “to take part in SynerLAB’s new development stage by financing this acquisition and thus reinforcing the partnership with the Management team”.
 

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List of parties and advisors involved in the transaction

Buyers

AXA Private Equity: François Jerphagnon, Alexis Lavaillote, Caroline Pihan

AXA Private Equity advisors:
- Legal aspects: Friedfrank (Noam Ankri)
- Strategic: Jean-Francois Loumeau

Vendors

Vendor advisors:

- M&A: Sodica (Sébastien Neiss, Nicolas de la Serre)
- Legal aspects: Landwell Strasbourg (Anne Sophie Vaquer)

Press Contacts

SynerLAB

Pierre Banzet
Pierre.banzet@synerlab.com

Pharmaster

Nicole Martin-Spittler
n.martin-spittler@pharmaster.fr