Basa's investment plan includes new factory

Reactivated in November, the Pharmaceutical Industry Basa, manufacturer of parenteral solutions (serum) in Caxias do Sul (RS), begins to put into practice a plan of investments of r $ 42 million in own resources and financing to reach R $ 2017 with sales close to $ 500 million and a new factory. The project includes a technology transfer agreement with the Ukrainian laboratory Yuria Pharm signed in February, in addition to the diversification of the portfolio with higher value products and the expansion of production capacity, said CEO Sergio Noschang.
The Basa was acquired in August 2012 by Noschang, former Rhodia, Pfizer and Novo Nordisk, and by businessman Gaucho Nestor Perini, formerly controller and now minority shareholders of the Company, industry of equipment for the oil and gas industry, each has 50% stake. Before that, she was a member of the Lutheran University of Brazil (Ulbra), but was auctioned to pay tax debts of the educational institution in 2010, when it was auctioned off by the distributor of medicines Farmaconn, Minas Gerais.
To keep control of the Basa, which had suspended operations in March last year due to financial difficulties, Noschang and Perini took over and renegotiated debts of r $ 35 million with banks and suppliers, said the Executive. The largest creditor is Santander, with r $ 22 million receivable that will be paid in 10 years. The new owners also put in days the salaries of 150 employees and increased the framework for 250 people.
According to Noschang, the acquisition value of the Basa is not included in the $ 42 million that will be invested until 2015. The new investments include $ 7 million already had been spent to refit the company in operation, plus $ 15 million to expand the production capacity of 2 million to 8 million bottles per month until the second half of next year and the construction of a new industrial unit until 2015.
The expansion will be necessary in order to guarantee compliance with the agreement with Yuria Pharm, which provides production and marketing from the second half of 2015, in Brazil, of drugs such as antibiotics and antifungals, anesthetics, intravenous, against payment of royalties to the Ukrainians. Only producer of soros in the southern region, the Basa will still be paid by the registry and local distribution of products imported from Ukraine.
Until 2015 the company also plans to start production of Biogenerics, with other technology transfer agreement with a new partner, said the Executive, without giving details. "We are still negotiating," he explained. Currently the Basa operates in two shifts and produces between 1.2 million and 1.5 million bottles of soros per month, which are sold in the three States of the South, and the forecast for this year is closing with a turnover of r $ 36 million, said Noschang.