Corporate

Merz Pharma takes over Swiss dermatology specialist Neocutis

Frankfurt am Main,July 31, 2013

Merz Pharma Group (Frankfurt am Main) today announced that it has acquired the Swiss pharmaceutical company Neocutis S.A. The acquisition of the company`s cosmeceutical skin care business strengthens Merz`s market position in the field of aesthetic dermatology.

“Neocutis is an innovative company with an excellent presence on the U.S. market, and a promising potential for development,” said Philip Burchard, CEO of Merz Pharma. “This transaction is an important step to expand our U.S. business, as Neocutis products are an excellent addition to our own aesthetics portfolio.” The products are particularly used as pre- and post-treatments to aesthetic procedures.

The acquisition of Neocutis reflects the company’s strategy to establish itself as a leader in the field of medical and aesthetic dermatology. The U.S. is the most important market for Merz. Merz North America is an important player in aesthetics and medical dermatology, offering a well-balanced range of products for minimally invasive treatments, including the dermal fillers Radiesse® and Belotero®, the neurotoxin Xeomin®, a product for the treatment of varicose veins, as well as products for the treatment of scars and fungal skin diseases.

Neocutis S.A. was founded in February 2003 as a spin-off of the medical faculty of the Lausanne University Clinic, Switzerland. The privately owned company with headquarters in Pully (Switzerland) develops and distributes innovative products for aesthetic dermatology (anti-aging, pigmentation problems, sun protection). The U.S. is the main market. Since the company entered the market in 2009, it has recorded strong annual growth. The anti-aging line is one of the products with the highest recorded turnover.

About the Merz Pharma Group

Merz’s business activities are in the research, development and distribution of innovative pharmaceutical and medical products for aesthetic and medical dermatology and the fields of neurology and metabolic disorders.

Memantine, the first active agent in the world with a glutamatergeric effect for the treatment of moderate to severe Alzheimer’s dementia, is the second most frequently prescribed anti-dementive medication. For the treatment of neurological movement disorders, Merz developed Xeomin®, the first botulinum toxin that is free of complex proteins.

Another core competence of Merz is clinical and aesthetic dermatology. Merz Aesthetics offers a well-balanced range of products for minimally invasive treatments. With the fillers Radiesse® and Belotero® and the neurotoxin Xeomin®, the company is an important player on the American aesthetic market.

With the brands tetesept® and Merz Spezial®, Merz Consumer Care is a leading supplier of OTC medications, food supplements and skincare products in German-speaking countries.

The Merz Pharma Group generated sales of EUR 913 million in the financial year 2011/12 (previous year: EUR 780.4 million) and employs 2,389 staff worldwide (previous year: 2,391).