Japan’s Denki Kagaku Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha on 7 August 2015 signed an agreement to acquire Nomad Bioscience GmbH’s wholly-owned company Icon Genetics GmbH, a German bio-pharmaceutical R&D Company. Nomad is the parent company of Icon, in two phases for an estimated amount of Euro 75 million (about Yen 10 billion).
In the first phase, Denka will acquire 51 percent of Icon's shares from Nomad as a result of which Icon will become a subsidiary of Denka. After two years of implementation of the first phase, Denka will acquire the remaining 49 percent of Icon's shares, resulting in Icon becoming a wholly owned subsidiary of Denka. Based on the agreement with Nomad, after the acquisition, Icon will carry out research and development in the vaccines and diagnostic reagents business. The implementation of the first phase is scheduled to be made on August 20, 2015 after completing the necessary procedures for the acquisition.
Denka Group manufactures macromolecular sodium hyaluronate, vaccines and diagnostic reagents. As per the Denka 100 management plan for growth, the group intends to develop the business of vaccines and diagnostic reagents conducted by Denka Seiken, a Denka Group company.
As a result of Icon Genetics acquisition, Denka Group will be able to develop norovirus vaccine and other vaccines which have never been produced by the Group and, in relation to seasonal influenza vaccines currently produced by Denka Seiken. The acquisition is also expected to help Denka create a brand new production technology that could replace the traditional one, as well as improve manufacturing technologies of antibodies to be used for test reagents. Denka Group is expanding its business toward the next 100 years by enhancing its existing products and businesses, while accelerating the research and development of next-generation products and beyond.
