Pfizer expands in Poland
pharmafile | December 4, 2013 | News story | Sales and Marketing | OTC, Pfizer, Poland, polocard, zf polpharma
Pfizer has bought the rights to one of Poland’s biggest OTC brands in a move which sees the US group continue to expand its consumer healthcare business through acquisitions and partnership agreements.
Pfizer’s Polish subsidiary has acquired the rights to Polocard, a low-dose aspirin (acidum acetylsalicylicum) – used for heart attack prevention – from ZF Polpharma. Neither party are revealing any financial details of the transaction.
In the last couple of years, Pfizer’s excursions into the consumer arena have included an exclusive global licence agreement with AstraZeneca for the OTC rights to Nexium (esomeprazole magnesium).
Currently a prescription-only drug approved to treat the symptoms of gastroesophageal reflux disease, Pfizer paid the firm $250 million to be able to sell the OTC version from 2014, the year it loses its patent.
The proton pump inhibitor – the world’s fifth-best-selling medicine in 2011 – should provide a steady income for both firms, with AstraZeneca receiving milestone and royalty payments from Pfizer.
On the OTC trail recently, Pfizer has also bought Alacer, maker of the Emergen-C line of vitamin C products, and Ferrosan’s consumer healthcare business, which includes an extensive dietary supplements portfolio.
The latter gave it further access to the Nordic countries and central Europe as well as to emerging markets in eastern Europe and Russia.
“Polocard is a top OTC brand in Poland, and its acquisition will enhance our consumer healthcare portfolio and overall position in this key market,” said Paul Sturman, president, Pfizer Consumer Healthcare.
“We continue to focus on strategic opportunities that will expand our portfolio of leading brands, develop capabilities in high-growth categories and extend our global reach,” he added.
A few pharma firms have agonised over how to make their OTC businesses work – with some such as GlaxoSmithKline, deciding that divesting them is the way to go.
A few years ago even Pfizer itself was thought to be considering selling its own OTC division to improve overall sales and profits.
Adam Hill
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