Novasep and PharmaZell to merge into big drug services firm

The pharmaceutical chemical companies Novasep and PharmaZell are in talks to merge into a new firm that they say would be a leading European contract development and manufacturing organization (CDMO), with annual sales of almost $600 million and about 2,000 employees across seven sites in Europe, two in India, and one in the US. The combined company would be owned by Bridgepoint, the investment firm that owns PharmaZell, a German CDMO that specializes in making complex pharmaceutical chemicals. Novasep, based in France, specializes in complex small molecules and antibody-drug conjugates after selling separation equipment and viral vector businesses earlier this year. Jan Ramakers, a fine chemical consultant in the Netherlands, speculates that Bridgepoint will also sell Novasep’s agrochemical business. Ramakers says the new company will be a major CDMO player in Europe and rank about fifth in sales. Bridgepoint only acquired PharmaZell in May 2020, he notes, but should have sufficient financial power to support the combined firm.