Merz Pharma announced that it has purchased the Swiss company Anteis S.A., which is specialized in the development, manufacture and commercialization of biomedical products in the area of aesthetics. This completes a union of two companies that have been working in strong and trustworthy partnership for many years. The acquisition strengthens Merz Aesthetics’ portfolio and reinforces its market position in the field of aesthetic medicine while merging Anteis’ operations into one of the leading providers worldwide.
“The acquisition of Anteis by Merz is a unique opportunity to strengthen our presence in aesthetic medicine by bringing innovative solutions to doctors and patients,” says Philip Burchard, CEO Merz Pharma. “Anteis brings substantial additions to Merz in terms of products, talent, geographic presence and manufacturing capabilities, our two portfolios’ complement each other perfectly.
Since 2005, Merz Pharmaceuticals distributes a range of dermal fillers developed by Anteis under the Belotero® brand name. With the acquisition of Anteis, Merz will further benefit from the innovative power of Anteis and its qualified and experienced employees. The acquisition is a unique opportunity to strengthen Merz’s R&D pipeline and supports the company’s strategy to establish itself as a leader in the field of aesthetics. While the recent acquisition of Neocutis S.A., which specializes in the development of dermocosmetic pre- and post-treatments for aesthetic procedures, strengthens Merz’s position in the U.S. market, the acquisition of Anteis enhances the company’s footprint in a whole range of markets around the world. “The acquisition fits to our strategy of entering into partnerships and M&A transactions to add expertise and portfolio,” says Hans-Jörg Bergler, Head of Corporate Development, Merz Pharma.
In less than 10 years, Anteis has become a strong global player in the area of injectable medical devices based on biopolymer transformation. Anteis has developed several highly innovative and highly differentiated products in the field of aesthetics, e.g. wrinkle-filling gels, resorbable implants and cutaneous rehydration gels. Their product lines Esthélis, Fortélis, Mesolis and Modélis as well as the Jolidermis range and the Anteis Injection System are available in over 90 countries in five continents. Besides aesthetic dermatology, Anteis is also active in the fields of ophthalmology and orthopedics.
About the Merz Pharma Group
Merz is a privately held pharmaceutical company based in Frankfurt, Germany. The company is active in research, development and distribution of innovative products in the areas of aesthetic medicine and dermatology as well as in the field of neurologic movement disorders. For the treatment of neurological movement disorders, Merz developed Xeomin®, the first botulinum toxin that is free of complex proteins. Another core competency of Merz lies in medical and aesthetic dermatology. Merz Aesthetics offers a tailored and harmonized portfolio of products for minimally invasive treatments. With the fillers Radiesse®, Belotero®, Glytone® and the neurotoxin Bocouture®/Xeomin®, the company is an important player in the aesthetics market. In the consumer products segment, Merz Consumer Care is the leading provider of OTC medication, dietary supplements and skincare products in the German-speaking countries with its well-known tetesept® and Merz Spezial® brands. The Merz Pharma Group employs 2,391 people worldwide (prior year: 2,131). The Company generated revenue of EUR 913 million in fiscal year 2011/12.
