Stada Arz now biggest foreign pharma investor in Russia

Germany’s Stada Arzneimittel (SAZ: Xetra) says it is now the largest foreign investor in the Russian pharmaceutical industry, following the completion of a $660 million transaction for a Russian brand portfolio from Japan’s Takeda (TYO: 4502) and having invested in around 1 billion euros ($1.1 billion) in recent years. The transaction will enable the group to continue expanding its presence and investments in Russia.

Having closed the previously announced-acquisition from Takeda, Stada has now obtained a portfolio of around 20 selected over-the-counter (OTC) and prescription pharmaceutical assets sold in Russia, Georgia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Kazakhstan, and Uzbekistan. Based on data from IQVIA, including the Aqualor brand, the transaction makes Stada the clear market leader in Russia’s consumer healthcare sector with a 6.4% market share.

Peter Goldschmidt, chief executive of Stada, commented: “This is an important strategic step for Stada and positions us as the leading player in a large and expanding Russian consumer healthcare market. This transaction reflects not only our commitment to our operations in Russia, but also our successful growth journey as we continue expanding our core generics and consumer healthcare businesses internationally, both organically and through targeted business-development activities.”