Catalent is moving further and faster with its global expansion plans while building its softgel and nutritional product capacity. The contract manufacturer will move into Brazil with the acquisition of Relthy Laboratórios.
The Somerset, NJ-based company said that Relthy specializes in softgel encapsulated vitamin, mineral and supplement (VMS) products but also manufacturers some prescription and over-the-counter products for the Brazilian market. It has 350 employees and a production capacity of about 2 billion capsules per year. Relthy is based in Indaiatuba.
Catalent notes that Brazil is the sixth largest pharmaceutical market in the world and places the company further into emerging markets. Earlier this year, Catalent nailed down two deals that give it manufacturing capacity in China. It agreed to buy Haining-based Zhejiang Jiang Yuan Tang Biotechnology. The Chinese company manufacturers softgel nutritional products for the Chinese and Asia Pacific market, but Catalent intends to seek regulatory approval to expand its business into prescription and over-the-counter products. Separately, Catalent formed a joint venture with ShangPharma named Catalent (Shanghai) Clinical Trial Supplies. As part of that arrangement, the JV partners will open a new 31,000-square-foot plant in Shanghai.
Catalent, of course, is not alone in its march across the globe. Patheon, for example, last year agreed to pay $255 million to pick up Mexico's Banner Pharmacaps, getting a beachhead Latin American in the deal. That buyout is already returning financial benefits to Patheon.
- here's the announcement