Sanofi has added to its Merial animal health division with the purchase of India-based Dosch Pharmaceuticals.
The acquisition, which is expected to be completed during the first half of 2013, opens the doors for Merial to India’s €350m animal health market.
Merial will be expecting the purchase to pay off over the coming years too, with the market experiencing annual double digit growth, while India is home to the world’s largest herd of cattle and buffalo and the second largest herd of sheep and goats.
“The acquisition of Dosch’s Animal Health Division will be a significant milestone for Merial and give us a strategic platform for our development in the Indian market,” said Jose Barella, CEO of Merial.
“We are convinced that the combination of Dosch’s animal health brands and distribution strength, along with the robust new product pipelines from both Merial and Dosch, will strongly position Merial to become rapidly a major animal health player in India.”
Once the acquisition is completed, Merial will have access to more than 86 products in Dosch’s portfolio, including Doscal to enhance milk secretion, Dosmec for the treatment of worms and Albendos for diarrhoea.
Dosch also currently has a sales force of 279 employees, covering 18 Indian states.
“The strong nationwide sales, marketing and distribution network of Dosch, along with established products and people will be an ideal platform for Merial to enter the fast developing animal health market of India,” said Dosch’s chair and managing director Sanjay Doshi.
The acquisition, financial details of which remain undisclosed, comes a year after Sanofi expanded its OTC presence in India with the purchase of Universal Medicare’s over-the-counter unit, with the company looking to take advantage of the fast-growing healthcare market.