Reig Jofre acquires Bioiberica’s portfolio of finished pharmaceutical and nutraceutical products, and establishes a strategic agreement to develop the joint health market

Reig Jofre, a pharma company listed on the Spanish stock market, has acquired Bioiberica’s portfolio of specialized joint health finished pharmaceutical products and nutraceuticals for the treatment of arthrosis and other arthropathies. It is also expanding its product portfolio with medicines and health products based on chondroitin sulfate, glucosamine sulfate, the combination of both and hyaluronic acid, among which are leading brands in the Spanish market and widely-known by prescribers and patients, and which enjoy a strong presence in European markets such as France, Finland and Portugal.

The operation involves the acquisition of the medical prescription and consumer healthcare products portfolio, the incorporation of a team consisting of 51 people from the areas of R&D, regulatory, marketing, market access and commercial medical visits network, and an agreement by virtue of which Bioiberica will continue to produce and supply the APIs and ingredients necessary for the manufacture of the portfolio sold to Reig Jofre. Furthermore, the operation sees the creation of a strategic agreement to develop the market for prevention and health care in the area of joint pain and to complete the solutions available for the treatment of osteoarticular disease, one of the most prevalent physical complaints in the world: it is estimated that between 5% and 20% of the population suffers from such afflictions, a figure that reaches around 80% in patients aged over 65 in industrialized countries.

With this operation, the Bioiberica Human Health Business Unit, leader in the production of the Heparin pharmaceutical active ingredient and a worldwide reference in the research, production and sale of other bulk actives and ingredients of animal origin such as chondroitin sulfate, glucosamine, acid hyaluronic or native type II collagen, is now focused on its business to business operations, its fastest growing area of activity in recent years.

Reig Jofre diversifies its specialty products division with a new therapeutic area, Joint Health and Pain, a segment which is experiencing growth worldwide and one which will join the existing areas of (i) Skin, Hair and Nails Health; and, (ii) Women's Health.

This acquisition contributes sales of some 26 million euros to Reig Jofre’s turnover, of which 24 million euros come from specialty products and 2 million euros from the consumer healthcare area, a segment which will be the focus of future initiatives by both Reig Jofre and Bioibérica. 89% of sales are generated in Spain and the rest in Europe, mainly in Finland, France and Portugal.

The nutraceutical line in the musculoskeletal field will be developed within the framework of the mentioned strategic agreement between Reig Jofre and Bioiberica. With over 40 years of experience in the area of joint health, the company has vast scientific knowledge of molecules and their industrial production. Through its Forté Pharma brand, Reig Jofre stands out for its ability to develop finished products adapted to needs of the markets and the consumers of the countries in which it enjoys a direct presence in Europe, especially France, Belgium, Spain, Portugal, Sweden and the United Kingdom, as well as other third markets which it reaches via its current specialized distributors.

Ignasi Biosca, CEO of Reig Jofre, states that, "This integration of knowledge, products and equipment, allows us, from the very first instant, to generate a direct value for our share in the stock market. By virtue of its size, geographical distribution and operational synergies, the operation is perfect for Reig Jofre and allows us to promote a new therapeutic area situated between prescription specialty and consumer healthcare products in the company of leader in the sector and in a segment, that of joint health and pain, in constant growth due to the aging and the new habits of the population."

Luis Solera, CEO of Bioiberica, states: "This operation allows us to focus completely on our B2B business, the research, production and sale of active pharmaceutical ingredients and brand-name ingredients, which has provided us with growth of more than 50% in the last three years. Additionally, we ensure the continuity of our products by promoting them through Reig Jofre, a company with a greater degree of specialization in B2C, thus giving value to our capacity for innovation and consolidating the market position of Bioibérica to face future challenges from our strengths.”

For his part, Gabriel Roig, Corporate General Manager of Reig Jofre, highlights that, "We are committed to the growth of the Spanish market and the international expansion of Reig Jofre thanks to the strategic alliance with Bioibérica, through which we will develop the prevention market in the area of joint pain, which will allow us to consolidate the countries in which we are already present and to develop new markets. We must not forget that with this acquisition we are adding 26 million euros to the company's turnover in the areas of specialty products, mainly consumer and consumer healthcare.”

Bioiberica is a global Life Science company committed to improving people, animal, and plant health and well-being. Our core business is the identification, extraction and development of animal-derived biomolecules, which are transformed into high quality products for the pharmaceutical, nutraceutical, veterinary, feed and agricultural industries. 

This specialisation has positioned the company as the leading Heparin API manufacturer and a world reference in the research, production and sale of other animal-derived APIs, ingredients and compounds, such us chondroitin sulfate, glucosamine, hyaluronic acid, native type II collagen or thyroid.