Egis intensifies its acquisition strategy

Egis Pharmaceuticals, French independent drugmaker Servier’s generics company, has acquired Sorbifer’s (ferrous sulfate + ascorbic acid) product rights from AstraZeneca (LSE: AZN). The transaction reinforces Egis’ position on its key markets.

Egis, of which Servier gained full ownership in a deal worth around $483 million in 2013, has already been producing, distributing and promoting Sorbifer in 18 Central and Eastern Europe (CEE) and Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) markets since 1985 under a licence agreement with Anglo-Swedish pharma major AstraZeneca. The product has become one of the major brands of Egis, the fifth largest of the company.

Sorbifer is an anti-anemia prescription drug, which has a strong position in the CEE and CIS markets, particularly in Russia and Poland.