Eurofins to Bolster Discovery Pharmacology With Villapharma Acquisition

Eurofins reinforces its footprint in discovery pharmacology with the acquisition of Villapharma in Spain.

Eurofins Scientific, a provider of analytical support to the global pharmaceutical industry, announced the signing of an agreement to acquire Villapharma Research SL in Spain. The transaction is expected to close in February 2017, upon fulfilment of customary closing conditions.

Villapharma provides organic synthesis and medicinal chemistry services to global pharmaceutical and biotech companies for the discovery and optimization of potential new drug candidates. Founded in 2003, Villapharma employs 86 staff at its laboratory in Murcia and runs a research outsourcing business model for its clients. The company expects to generate revenue of more than €6 million ($6.3 million) in 2016 with EBITDA margins compatible with group objective.

Villapharma’s offering is complementary to Eurofins’ existing competencies as a leading provider of pharmaceutical discovery services, currently focused primarily on safety pharmacology, ADME and target pathways. The transaction therefore expands the group’s services into a more comprehensive offering and further strengthens its service proposition for the pharma/biotech industry.

“The addition of Villapharma adds another spectrum of new services that Eurofins can now offer to our clients,” Dr. Gilles Martin, Eurofins CEO, commented. “To benefit from the trend in the discovery pharmacology field for outsourcing to CROs, Eurofins is expanding its portfolio and footprint in this industry.

Dr. José Manuel Villalgordo, Villapharma Research CEO, said that the integration of Villapharma into the Eurofins group will allow the company to expand its portfolio of services from hit finding to pre-clinical drug candidates.”

With 25,000 staff in more than 250 laboratories across 39 countries, Eurofins offers a portfolio of over 130,000 validated analytical methods for evaluating the safety, identity, composition, authenticity, origin, traceability and purity of biological substances and products, as well as for clinical diagnostics.

(Source: Business Wire)