Pfizer wants to have the German control

To complete your purchase of 40% of German, which specialises in generic Goias at the end of 2010, the American Pfizer had no idea of the dimension that this business would take to the multinational. "The association with the German model is considered a success for the group," said the Victor Mezei, President of the company in Brazil.
Two and a half years after this successful partnership, drugmaker Pfizer is preparing to start exporting medicines with the German mark for the Latin American countries. But the multinational's plans for the national laboratory are even more ambitious. The value that the American Group may exercise the right to purchase the remaining 60% of the company and, by this slice, you should shell out between $ 1.3 billion and $ 1.7 billion in this operation.
The agreement tied between the two companies at the end of 2010 was already predicted that Pfizer could exercise the right of option between the end of this year and the beginning of 2014-the multiple to be paid was closed at 14.5 times Ebitda (earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization) of German. The Ebitda of the national company for 2013 is estimated to be between $ 150 million and $ 200 million, it was the value. In Brazil, recent deals involving laboratory acquisitions are not closed for less than 20 times Ebitda.
Mezei does not deny that the integration between the two companies is great, but prefers not to comment on the purchase option exercise of the multinational.
In relation to the export plans of Pfizer medicines with the German mark for the Latin America, the Executive said that the negotiations are advanced. "We are at the stage of assembling dossiers," he said. Venezuela and Argentina are more advanced in this process. These countries have already made an analysis of the German portfolio and are closing the list of files that have an interest to submit in their countries to launch site.
Pfizer already had a small operation in generics in the United States, but the German purchase marked definitely the American group entry in this segment. With the successful German case in Brazil, to set up a multi strategy in every market where it plans to expand in that segment. "It is quite different to a large global acquisition," he said.
In addition to the plans and layouts for the generics and the like, the company has an aggressive strategy of launching innovative medicines in the country. "We are working to commercialize in the Brazilian market new products that will contribute to the prevention and control of major diseases, such as rheumatoid arthritis, kidney cancer, STROKE and pneumococcal diseases," he said.
Among the medicines that will be launched in the country this year are the vaccine Prevnar 13 to adults (for patients with more than 50 years); the Inlyta (axitinib), which recently received approval from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the u.s. agency that regulates the sale of medicines and food, for second line treatment of advanced renal cell carcinoma and will complement the line of drugs in kidney cancer; the Xeljanz (tofacitinbe), at an advanced stage of clinical research and intracellular action to combat rheumatoid arthritis; In addition to the Eliquis (apixabana), in the process of approval of the second indication for prevention of stroke in patients with atrial fibrillation.
In addition to innovative medicines, the company has strong position in so-called mature or already established medicines. In this segment, the company also seeks partnerships and initiatives to expand its product portfolio in the country.
Last year, Pfizer's sales in Brazil totaled r $ 4.6 billion, which includes the results of the pharmaceutical areas, which was R $ 3.7 billion, in addition to the consumer and animal health divisions. "Only the pharmaceutical Division had a growth of 14% compared to the result of 2011," he said. Last year, the champions of sale in the country were the Enbrel, Zyvox, Sutent, Lipitor, Vfend, Geodon. This ranking demonstrates that the company has a strong portfolio in the area of specialty and primary care/established.
This good result reflects the plans outlined by the company in Brazil, according to Mezei, noting that the company suffered the loss of exclusivity of thud of two important products such as Lipitor (for high cholesterol) and Viagra (erectile dysfunction), who had their expired patents.
When deciding to get definitely in generics market, the company not only started to produce copies of their important medicines but also went on to produce competing remedies that have lost their patent. "Pfizer, by force majeure, has reinvented itself," said Mezei, remembering that only with the Lipitor group global sales reached US $ 14 billion per year before the loss of the patent.
Without the force of a "blockbuster" (champion), the global strategy of the company is to focus on its pipeline in medicines for important therapeutic areas, including complex treatments. In your pipeline, the Group has 78 products in research and development. With operations in nine therapeutic areas, the company maintains a strong biological and cardiometabólicos in betting.
The Brazil has an important participation in large part of clinical studies of these new drugs in development by the group. There are currently 26 researched molecules in development projects 46-representing 59% of involvement in global studies, involving about 2 thousand patients.
With technology transfer agreement has been signed with the federal Government for Gaucher disease, the company also signed last year scientific and technological cooperation agreement with the Government of Rio de Janeiro for research development in Brazil. This partnership involves the Vital Brazil Institute (BVI), with the purpose of collaborating in the process of implementation of Health Technology Innovation Centre (Sautec) of the Secretariat of health of the State of health, with actions in the field of neuroscience, brain mapping, neuromuscular and Neurosciences research applied to the effort and exercise physiology.