Philip Morris International Inc. announced it has entered into an agreement to acquire Fertin Pharma A/S (Fertin Pharma), a leading developer and manufacturer of innovative pharmaceutical and well-being products based on oral and intra-oral delivery systems, for an enterprise value of DKK 5.1 billion (approximately USD 820 million).
“The acquisition of Fertin Pharma will be a significant step forward on our journey toward delivering a smoke-free future—enhancing our smoke-free portfolio, notably in modern oral, and accelerating our progress in beyond nicotine,” stated Jacek Olczak, Chief Executive Officer. “Both PMI and Fertin share a commitment to science and consumer-centric innovations for better living, and I am delighted we have reached this agreement. Fertin’s diverse portfolio of technologies, evolving business mix, and world-class expertise will enrich our innovation pipeline and capabilities, providing speed and scale in oral delivery to support our 2025 goals of generating more than 50% of our net revenues from smoke-free products and at least USD 1 billion from products beyond nicotine.”
Fertin Pharma is a privately held company with more than 850 employees and operations in Denmark, Canada, and India. It is a leading contract development and manufacturing organization (CDMO), specializing in the research, development and production of gums, pouches, liquefiable tablets, and other solid oral systems for the delivery of active ingredients, including nicotine, where it is a leading producer of Nicotine Replacement Therapy (NRT) solutions. The company and its employees bring significant scientific experience and know-how to the development of innovative solutions, driving above-category growth across new and existing business areas. In 2020, Fertin Pharma generated net revenues of DKK 1.1 billion (approximately USD 160 million). The transaction value represents a multiple of around 15 times Fertin Pharma’s 2020 EBITDA3.
Fertin Pharma is currently owned by the global investment organization EQT and Bagger-Sørensen & Co. Upon the completion of the acquisition, Fertin Pharma will become a wholly owned subsidiary of PMI. PMI will fund the transaction with existing cash and expects it to close in the fourth quarter of 2021, subject to approval by the appropriate regulatory authorities. PMI expects the impact of the acquisition on its full-year 2021 adjusted diluted EPS to be immaterial.
Peter Halling, CEO of Fertin Pharma, commented: “Fertin Pharma has been on a fantastic journey with EQT and the Bagger-Sørensen family as owners. With the new ownership in place, Fertin Pharma will be in a great position to continue delivering on our vision and mission, including our work as a CDMO for our customers. PMI is going through an inspiring transformation as a company with an ambition to deliver a smoke-free future and building a beyond nicotine product portfolio. An ambition that perfectly matches that of Fertin Pharma, namely to enable people to live healthier lives. In PMI we have found a new owner and partner who shares our vision, who is committed to science and who will enable Fertin Pharma to further accelerate and grow as a company.”
