Content about Acquisition

May 13, 2011
Report: Happy Harry's stores get Walgreens makeover

Walgreens is 10 stores into transforming the popular Happy Harry’s Delaware pharmacy brand into Walgreens stores both inside and out, the News Journal, a Delaware daily, reported earlier this week.

HOCKESSIN, Del. — Walgreens is 10 stores into transforming the popular Happy Harry’s Delaware pharmacy brand into Walgreens stores both inside and out, the News Journal, a Delaware daily, reported earlier this week.

By the end of the year, Happy Harry’s will be no more. Walgreens acquired Happy Harry’s in 2006, but decided to keep the venerable brand name at the time.

May 12, 2011
Report: Takeda to acquire Nycomed in $12 billion deal

Japan-based Takeda Pharmaceutical may acquire Switzerland’s Nycomed for $12 billion, according to published reports.

NEW YORK — Japan-based Takeda Pharmaceutical may acquire Switzerland’s Nycomed for $12 billion, according to published reports.

Reuters reported Thursday that Takeda was in talks to buy Nycomed in order to expand its presence in the European market. Most of Takeda’s business is in Asia and the United States.

Nycomed makes treatments for such diseases as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, chronic pain, osteoporosis and others.

May 11, 2011
Credit Suisse bullish on GNC

Credit Suisse on Wednesday initiated coverage of General Nutrition Centers, the specialty retailer of supplement and nutritional products and partner with Rite Aid in a store-within-a-store program across more than 1,000 drug store locations.

NEW YORK — Credit Suisse on Wednesday initiated coverage of General Nutrition Centers, the specialty retailer of supplement and nutritional products and partner with Rite Aid in a store-within-a-store program across more than 1,000 drug store locations.

May 10, 2011
Alkermes to buy Elan Drug Technologies

Alkermes will buy Irish drug maker Elan’s drug formulation and manufacturing business for $960 million, the two companies said Monday.

WALTHAM, Mass. — Alkermes will buy Irish drug maker Elan’s drug formulation and manufacturing business for $960 million, the two companies said Monday.

Alkermes will buy Elan Drug Technologies and incorporate the combined company in Ireland, naming it Alkermes PLC. Alkermes said the acquisition would give it an edge in treating central nervous system disorders and expected to have diverse revenue streams from 25 commercialized drugs.

May 6, 2011
Akorn acquires AVR in $26 million deal

Akorn, a niche generic pharmaceutical company, earlier this week entered into an agreement to acquire Advanced Vision Research, an over-the-counter ophthalmic company that promotes eye care products under the TheraTears and MacuTrition brands.

LAKE FOREST, Ill. — Akorn, a niche generic pharmaceutical company, earlier this week entered into an agreement to acquire Advanced Vision Research, an over-the-counter ophthalmic company that promotes eye care products under the TheraTears and MacuTrition brands.

May 6, 2011
Nestle Waters North America to acquire Sweet Leaf Tea Co.

Nestle Waters North America has inked a deal to acquire the maker of Sweet Leaf and Tradewinds beverage brands.

STAMFORD, Conn. — Nestle Waters North America has inked a deal to acquire the maker of Sweet Leaf and Tradewinds beverage brands.

Nestle Waters said its acquisition of Austin, Texas-based Sweet Leaf Tea Co. — which was founded in 1998 — is subject to applicable regulatory approval and satisfaction of other customary closing conditions. The deal will expand the company's beverage portfolio of bottled water to include high-quality iced teas, lemonades and juice drinks.

April 28, 2011
Health Station Networks to acquire Sentry Health Monitors

Health Station Networks will acquire “substantially all” of the assets of Sentry Health Monitors, which owns and operates more than 20,000 health monitors in pharmacies and other locations in the United States and Canada previously owned by Lifeclinic International, under a binding letter of intent.

SALT LAKE CITY — Health Station Networks will acquire “substantially all” of the assets of Sentry Health Monitors, which owns and operates more than 20,000 health monitors in pharmacies and other locations in the United States and Canada previously owned by Lifeclinic International, under a binding letter of intent.

April 25, 2011
Fast, nimble Walgreens aims to own ‘well’

Walgreens, the kaleidoscopic company that wants to “own well,” is shuffling management and realigning operations as it works to knock down its remaining internal silos and create a seamless, broad-based retail health-and-
wellness dynamo.


April 25, 2011
Indies narrow down local focus

Before Walgreens bought out Duane Reade, the intersection of Avenue J and East 15th Street in Brooklyn was home to a Walgreens and a Duane Reade store. Shortly after the purchase, Walgreens shut down the Duane Reade store, an older store that had a less visible location under elevated railway tracks. Now, independent pharmacies along Avenue J are trying to attract the business of former Duane Reade customers.


April 19, 2011
Forest purchases rights to azimilide

Drug maker Forest Labs has acquired worldwide rights to a drug developed by Procter & Gamble Pharmaceuticals for treating arrhythmia.

NEW YORK — Drug maker Forest Labs has acquired worldwide rights to a drug developed by Procter & Gamble Pharmaceuticals for treating arrhythmia.

Forest said Tuesday that it had purchased the rights to azimilide from Blue Ash Therapeutics and had been assigned a license agreement between Blue Ash and Warner Chilcott. Forest will assume responsibility for all future development and commercialization, including costs. Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.

April 18, 2011
Walmart's social commerce gets 'Kosmix' intervention

Walmart announced that it has acquired the services of Kosmix, a Mountain View, Calif.-based company to grow its multichannel strategy.

BRISBANE, Calif. — Walmart announced that it has acquired the services of Kosmix, a Mountain View, Calif.-based company, to grow its multichannel strategy.

April 12, 2011
Former GSK executive named Safeway SVP

Darren Singer, a 25-year GlaxoSmithKline veteran, has been named Safeway's SVP pharmacy, health and wellness, the retailer announced.

PLEASANTON, Calif. — Darren Singer, a 25-year GlaxoSmithKline veteran, has been named Safeway's SVP pharmacy, health and wellness, the retailer announced.

Singer will be responsible for retail pharmacy operations, specialty care, pharmacy services, compliance, benefit management and managed care for Safeway. He will report to Safeway's merchandising president, Kelly Griffith.

April 11, 2011
Endo to acquire American Medical Systems

Endo Pharmaceuticals will buy American Medical Systems for $2.9 billion, the drug maker said Monday.

CHADDS FORD, Pa. — Endo Pharmaceuticals will buy American Medical Systems for $2.9 billion, the drug maker said Monday.

Endo said it and AMS had reached an agreement whereby Endo would acquire the maker of devices and therapies for pelvic health for $30 per share. AMS’ business focuses on men’s health, women’s health and benign prostatic hyperplasia.

March 24, 2011
Walgreens boosts online presence with Drugstore.com acquisition

Shortly after posting record second-quarter sales on Tuesday, Walgreens announced that it would "accelerate its online strategy" by acquiring e-retailer Drugstore.com for about $429 million, subject to customary conditions.

DEERFIELD, Ill., and BELLEVUE, Wash. — Shortly after posting record second-quarter sales on Tuesday, Walgreens announced that it would "accelerate its online strategy" by acquiring e-retailer Drugstore.com for about $429 million, subject to customary conditions.

March 23, 2011
Colgate-Palmolive acquires Sanex from Unilever

Colgate-Palmolive is bolstering its foothold in the European personal care market by acquiring from Unilever the Sanex personal care brand for about $940 million.

NEW YORK — Colgate-Palmolive is bolstering its foothold in the European personal care market by acquiring from Unilever the Sanex personal care brand for about $940 million.

Sanex is a multicategory personal care brand with 2010 net sales of about $260 million, primarily in western Europe. Liquid body cleansing and deodorants each represent nearly 50% of the business.

The deal is structured as an all-cash acquisition for shares and net assets. The transaction is expected to close by the end of the second quarter this year.

March 21, 2011
Hi-Tech Pharmacal acquires candidiasis treatment

Generic drug maker Hi-Tech Pharmacal has acquired the rights to a drug for mouth infections, the company said Monday.

AMITYVILLE, N.Y. — Generic drug maker Hi-Tech Pharmacal has acquired the rights to a drug for mouth infections, the company said Monday.

Hi-Tech said it acquired nystatin oral suspension from Bausch & Lomb for an undisclosed sum. The drug is used to treat candidiasis, a fungal infection, in the mouth.

The market for the drug is $23 million, according to IMS Health.

March 17, 2011
Report: Pfizer recalls Embeda

Pfizer is recalling a painkiller drug it acquired when it bought King Pharmaceuticals due to problems with a chemical used to deter drug abuse, according to published reports.

NEW YORK — Pfizer is recalling a painkiller drug it acquired when it bought King Pharmaceuticals due to problems with a chemical used to deter drug abuse, according to a published report.

Reuters reported that Pfizer had recalled supplies of Embeda (morphine sulfate and naltrexone hydrochloride) because the chemical that prevents the drug from being ground up or dissolved by drug abusers — naltrexone — had deteriorated in samples of the drug that Pfizer had tested.

The drug has sales of less than $70 million per year, according to Reuters.

March 15, 2011
Mr. Bubble introduces new body washes for kids

Mr. Bubble, which was acquired by The Village Co. in 2008, is broadening its portfolio with two new products for children — Mr. Bubble original bubble body wash and extra gentle body wash. Both formulas feature newly redesigned packaging, showcasing the new Mr. Bubble character.

CHASKA, Minn. — Mr. Bubble, which was acquired by The Village Co. in 2008, is broadening its portfolio with two new products for children: Mr. Bubble original bubble body wash and extra gentle body wash. Both formulas feature newly redesigned packaging, showcasing the new Mr. Bubble character.

The new body washes are made with aloe and shea butter to moisturize and are tear-free formulas. Both body washes are hypoallergenic, dermatologist-tested and pediatrician-tested for a gentle clean. The extra gentle body wash is dye-free and fragrance-free for extra-sensitive skin.

March 11, 2011
Recognizing the value of a dollar store

First it was Family Dollar; now 99 Cents Only Stores finds itself in buyout talks, as investors are seeing the value in discount store chains.

CITY OF COMMERCE, Calif. — First it was Family Dollar; now 99 Cents Only Stores finds itself in buyout talks, as investors are seeing the value in discount store chains.

March 9, 2011
Lilly head continues call for medical innovation

Eli Lilly leader John Lechleiter has become something of an evangelist for medical innovation lately. On Wednesday, the Lilly chairman, president and CEO spoke to the U.S./Japan Business Council in Tokyo to call for changes and policies in the biopharmaceutical industry that encourage innovation, or “reinventing invention,” as he called it.

TOKYO — Eli Lilly leader John Lechleiter has become something of an evangelist for medical innovation lately.

On Wednesday, the Lilly chairman, president and CEO spoke to the U.S./Japan Business Council in Tokyo to call for changes and policies in the biopharmaceutical industry that encourage innovation, or “reinventing invention,” as he called it.

March 9, 2011
Prestige preparing big pediatric cough-cold splash

You can expect to see quite a bit of co-promotional activity between PediaCare and Little Remedies in the 2011-2012 cough-cold season, Prestige Brands president and CEO Matthew Mannelly told investors Wednesday morning at the Bank of America Merrill Lynch 2011 Consumer Conference held here.

NEW YORK — You can expect to see quite a bit of co-promotional activity between PediaCare and Little Remedies in the 2011-2012 cough-cold season, Prestige Brands president and CEO Matthew Mannelly told investors Wednesday morning at the Bank of America Merrill Lynch 2011 Consumer Conference held here.

March 7, 2011
Publix keeps pace with innovation

Publix routinely makes strategic moves to enhance the customer experience in the pharmacy and health-and-wellness arena that are rooted in the customer service mindset that has made its supermarkets so popular.

Last fall the company introduced a new larger, triangular-shaped pill bottle that is designed to be easier to open. While the pill bottle redesign didn’t go as far as the award-winning program Target introduced a few years back, the move underscored the fact that Publix is a pharmacy innovator.

February 25, 2011
Hal Rosenbluth to exit Walgreens

Walgreens on Friday announced that Hal Rosenbluth will retire as president of its health-and-wellness division in April but will continue with the company as a senior consultant to the CEO for healthcare services.

DEERFIELD, Ill. — Walgreens on Friday announced that Hal Rosenbluth will retire as president of its health-and-wellness division in April but will continue with the company as a senior consultant to the CEO for healthcare services.

Rosenbluth was a co-founder of Take Care Health Systems, which was acquired by Walgreens in 2007. Prior to that, he led Rosenbluth International, a global travel management company, which he sold to American Express in 2003.

February 23, 2011
Gilead to acquire Calistoga

Drug maker Gilead Sciences plans to buy out a privately owned Seattle company that makes treatments for cancer and inflammatory diseases, Gilead said Tuesday.

FOSTER CITY, Calif. — Drug maker Gilead Sciences plans to buy out a privately owned Seattle company that makes treatments for cancer and inflammatory diseases, Gilead said Tuesday.

The Foster City, Calif.-based company will buy Calistoga Pharmaceuticals for $375 million, plus additional milestone payments of up to $225 million.

February 18, 2011
ReportersNotebook — Chain Pharmacy, 2/28/11

SUPPLIER NEWS — Drug maker Valeant Pharmaceuticals International has acquired U.S. and Canadian rights to certain formulations of a GlaxoSmithKline drug used to treat cold sores. Valeant acquired the rights to nonophthalmic topical formulations of Zovirax (acyclovir) from GSK for $300 million through its Canadian subsidiary, Biovail Labs.