Leading pharmaceutical company announces acquisition

Aesica Pharmaceuticals has today announced that it has successfully acquired leading research and development company R5.

R5 is Aesica’s third UK acquisition since 2006 and will complement its existing formulations capability and enable it to significantly consolidate and enhance its portfolio of pharmaceutical and biotechnology clients.

Aesica is one of the UK’s fastest growing companies with an annual turnover in the region of £100 million and is currently undergoing a period of significant expansion both in the UK and indeed across America, where it has recently opened a new office in San Diego and New York.

R5 develops and manufactures new medicines and clinical trial materials and is widely acknowledged as one of the leading providers of pharmaceutical dosage form development across Europe.

While R5 will retain its current identity and brand it will become a subsidiary of Aesica Pharmaceuticals and key members of the Aesica team will join the Board at R5*. The capability and experience of the people at R5 will be utilised in its entirety and as the business continues to expand and evolve it will benefit from the support and investment provided by Aesica.

Robert Hardy, Chief Executive, Aesica says: “The acquisition of R5 is strategically crucial for our business as we extend and enhance our current offering. R5 has a proven track record in delivering early phase formulation development and its reputation within the emerging biotechnology industry was of particular interest, as we begin to increase our portfolio of clients within this field. We are hoping to harness the exceptional expertise and knowledge across the team at R5 to facilitate our continued expansion and to achieve our vision of becoming the leading supplier of Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients and Formulated Products to the global pharmaceutical and biotechnology industries.”

Paul Titley, Managing Director, R5 adds: “Aesica is one of the UK’s most successful and respected providers of APIs, Formulations and Custom Synthesis Solutions and our introduction to the business will enable customers to directly access additional product development services. The all-inclusive service offering provided by Aesica is rare and we believe our early stage research and development experience will add a new and invaluable dimension to the business. To become part of such a dynamic organisation heralds a new era for R5 and we are excited at the prospect of sharing our knowledge and skills with the entire team at Aesica, as well as establishing an increased presence in global markets.”

The acquisition of R5 demonstrates Aesica’s commitment to continually enhance its service offering to the global pharmaceutical and biotechnology industries. Strategically, the introduction and integration of R5 will enable Aesica to consolidate its expertise in delivering the highest quality standards in dosage form development and manufacture and support its vision to become the leading supplier of Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients and Formulated Products.

As one of the fastest growing companies in the UK, Aesica has increased turnover by 300 per cent over the course of the last five years and has bolstered its resource from 140 to 700 employees. While the company continues to expand, it firmly believes that the acquisition of R5 will support and enable its future growth and evolution.

www.aesica-pharma.com,  www.r5pharma.com