Otsuka Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd.
Corporate
December 24, 2008
Otsuka Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. to acquire Nutrition & Santé, the European market leader in functional and dietetic foods
Tokyo, Japan, December 24, 2008 -- Otsuka Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. (Head Office: Tokyo, Japan; President and Representative Director: Taro Iwamoto; hereinafter, Otsuka), a subsidiary of Otsuka Holdings Co., Ltd. (Head Office: Tokyo, Japan; President and Representative Director, CEO: Tatsuo Higuchi) announces today that it has signed an agreement to purchase from all shareholders all outstanding shares of Nardobel SAS, the holding company for the Nutrition & Santé group (Head Office: Revel, France; CEO: Didier Suberbielle) with its controlling shareholder, Abénex Capital, and L Capital on December 22, 2008.
Nutrition & Santé, headquartered in Revel, France, is the European leader in functional and dietetic foods. The group owns a portfolio of high profile brands including Gerblé (health & functional foods), Gerlinéa (sliming nutrition for grocery stores), Milical (sliming nutrition for pharmacies), Céréal Bio (organic foods), SOY (vegetarian foods) and Isostar (sports nutrition). Nutrition & Santé's products are sold in over 40 countries worldwide. The Group has four specialist production sites, all of which received IFS (International Food Standard) certification in 2007, providing products manufactured under high quality control standards.
The acquisition of Nutrition & Santé with its strong presence in the European functional and dietetic foods market will provide Otsuka Pharmaceutical with an important platform to develop its nutraceutical business in Europe and to develop its global operating presence.
"In Europe, N&S has a proven track record of developing new markets through creating many unique products which help consumers to maintain a healthy lifestyle. N&S and Otsuka Pharmaceutical share both a passion for the everyday health of consumers as well as a wealth of experience, which will aid us in taking our nutraceutical business to the next level," Taro Iwamoto, Ph.D., President and Representative Director of Otsuka Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. commented.
Didier Suberbielle, CEO of Nutrition & Santé, declared "We are very glad and honoured to join the Otsuka Pharmaceutical group. We will collaborate, innovate, and drive together the nutraceutical business in Europe".
Based on the corporate philosophy of 'Otsuka-people creating new products for better health worldwide', Otsuka Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. is dedicated to contributing to the health of people around the world.
Corporate profile
Nutrition & Santé SAS
| Established | April 20, 1972 |
|---|---|
| Representative | Didier Suberbielle, CEO |
| Head Office | BP 106 - 31250 REVEL, France |
| Number of Employees | 950 (approx.) |
| Revenue | Euro 260 Million (approx.) |
| Business Description | Manufacturing and distributing of functional and dietetic foods |
| Website | http://www.nutrition-sante-brands.com/ |
| Brands websites | http://www.gerble.fr/ http://www.gerlinea.fr/ http://www.isostar.fr/ |
Otsuka Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd.
| Established | August 10, 1964 |
|---|---|
| Capital | Japanese Yen 20 Billion |
| Representative | Taro Iwamoto, President and Representative Director |
| Head Office | 2-9 Kanda-Tsukasamachi, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo 101-8535 JAPAN |
| Number of Employees | 5,323 as of March 31, 2008 |
| Business Description | Manufacture, sales, import/export of pharmaceuticals, clinical testing and medical equipment, food products and cosmetics |
| Website | http://www.otsuka.co.jp/ |
Otsuka Holdings Co., Ltd.
| Established | July 8, 2008 |
|---|---|
| Capital | Japanese Yen 40.541 Billion (as of September 30, 2008) |
| Representative | Tatsuo Higuchi, President and Representative Director, CEO |
| Head Office | 2-9 Kanda-Tsukasamachi, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo 101-0048 JAPAN |
| Number of Employees | 5,323 as of March 31, 2008 |
| Business Description | Holding company |
| Website | http://www.otsuka.com/ |