Europe's largest pharma company enters Romania

Celesio, a German company and the leading retailer and distributor of pharmaceuticals in Europe, is to acquire 31.4% in the Slovenian company Kemofarmacija from the Lek Group, the majority shareholder in the Romanian distributor Pharmafarm. It will therefore indirectly enter the Romanian market. “Kemofarmacija is the ideal partner for Celesio, given the results it achieved thanks to its sound management and commitment of the company’s staff,” said Fritz Oesterle, Celesio’s chief executive. He declined to reveal the value of the transaction. Besides the 31.4% in Kemofarmacija, Celesio also intends to buy out the remaining shareholders. “The German interest resulted from the fact that Romania and Croatia have the strongest development potential of all the countries where Kemofarmacija is operational,” said Marius Chereches, Pharmafarm’s general manager. ZF