PHOENIX plans to acquire the Slovakian company SUNPHARMA, which operates 42 pharmacies in Slovakia and eight in the Czech Republic. The pharmacies are located in prime areas such as shopping centres. The acquisition is subject to approval by the relevant competition authorities. The parties have agreed to keep the financial details of the transaction confidential.
PHOENIX has already had many years of success in the pharmaceutical wholesale business in both Slovakia and the Czech Republic and offers a wide range of services to the pharmaceutical industry as well. PHOENIX operates 120 of its own pharmacies in the Czech Republic under the BENU brand. With SUNPHARMA, the number 2 in the Slovakian pharmacy market, PHOENIX will further expand its leading position in the pharmacy retail business, particularly in continental Europe.
The planned acquisition is a continuation of its successful expansion in Europe. In 2014 it successfully entered the pharmacy retail business in Serbia as well. Within a few months PHOENIX was able to gain a leading market position. By December 2014, the company had announced its intention to purchase the Mediq pharmacies in the Netherlands through its fully consolidated company Brocacef. Its portfolio includes not only pharmacies but also wholesale and services for pharmaceutical manufacturers.
Oliver Windholz, CEO of the PHOENIX group, commented: “Our vision is to be the best integrated healthcare provider – wherever we are. For us, this means providing each customer group with the best possible services and products along the entire pharmaceutical supply chain. Pharmaceutical manufacturers, pharmacies, doctors, hospitals, health insurance funds, and patients alike can benefit from our comprehensive service offering. We achieve this by focusing on integrated structures between our Wholesale, Retail, and Pharma Services segments. We are the optimal link between pharmaceutical manufacturer and patient. With the acquisitions in this fiscal year we have taken a significant step toward this goal.”
