Hitachi Chemical to Acquire apceth Biopharma

On Jan. 31, 2019, apceth Biopharma, a contract development and manufacturing organization (CDMO) in the field of cell and gene therapy, announced today that Hitachi Chemical will enter into an agreement to acquire all shares of apceth Biopharma. The acquisition is expected to close in April 2019.

apceth, founded 2007, specializes in cell and gene therapy and has developed into a European CDMO for advanced therapy medicinal products (ATMPs). The company has facilities in Munich, Germany, which are fully compliant with all current EU ATMP regulations, biosafety level 2, and International Council for Harmonization guidelines.

With the acquisition of apceth, Hitachi Chemical will be expanding its footprint in Europe for regenerative medicines.

“We are very pleased to become part of Hitachi Chemical. Our combined strengths within Hitachi Chemical will allow us to manufacture complex cell and gene therapies for clients in North America, Asia, and Europe. This will allow our clients to supply patients around the world with highly needed innovative and high-quality cell and gene therapies”, said Christine Guenther, MD, CEO of apceth Biopharma, in a company press release.

“apceth had been built by a great team and strong support of its shareholders into Europe’s leading independent cell therapy manufacturer. We are very proud that these joint efforts resulted in apceth Biopharma now being chosen as Hitachi Chemical’s hub for cell therapy in Europe,” commented Manfred Ruediger, PhD, chairman of the board of apceth, in the press release.

“The addition of apceth Biopharma to Hitachi Chemical will strengthen our presence in the second-largest cell and gene therapy market in the world, and enable us to offer a truly harmonized global operation, providing our customers with ready access to new markets and maximizing the value we bring to the industry,” said Robert A. Preti, PhD, CEO and president of Hitachi Chemical Advanced Therapeutics Solutions and general manager of the Hitachi Chemical Regenerative Medicine Business Sector, in the press release.

Source: apceth Biopharma