Aspen To Acquire Merck Business

South Africa’s Aspen Group is acquiring an active pharmaceutical ingredients business and the option to buy 11 finished products from Merck & Co. With 2012 sales of $370 million, the API business includes manufacturing plants in the Netherlands, a facility in Iowa, and an Illinois sales office. Aspen will pay about $47 million for the business and $390 million for existing inventory. The deal also includes a 10-year agreement to supply APIs to Merck. Aspen could pay another $600 million for the 11 products, which span several therapeutic areas and netted $248 million in sales last year.