Stada Arzneimittel
| Company type | Aktiengesellschaft |
|---|---|
| Industry | Pharmaceuticals |
| Predecessor | NIDDApharm GmbH, Stada UK Holdings, Schein Pharmaceutical Holdings UK Ltd, Forum Bioscience Holdings Ltd, Thornton & Ross, Natures Aid, EG S.p.A, Crinos SpA, Pharmajani SpA, Stada Inc., MOVA Laboratories Inc., Ava Stada Pharma Latin America Ltda, Bayvit S.A, Ciclum Farma, Unipessoal LDA, Nizhpharm OAO, MAKIZ Group, ZAO MAKIZ-Pharma, ZAO Skopinpharm, ZAO Biodyne Pharmaceuticals, Stada Pharmaceuticals (Asia) Ltd, Beijing Center-Lab Pharmaceutical Company Ltd, Health Vision Enterprise Ltd |
| Founded | 1895 in Dresden, Germany |
| Fate | Acquired by Bain Capital and Cinven (2017) |
| Headquarters | Bad Vilbel , Germany |
Area served | Nearly 120 countries worldwide |
Key people | Peter Goldschmidt (CEO as of 2018), Günter von Au (Chairman of Supervisory Board as of 2018) |
| Products | Consumer healthcare products (including over-the-counter medications), generic pharmaceuticals, specialty drugs; notable products include acetaminophen and lactulose (Stada brand), Grippostad-C, Silomat cough syrup, Ladival sun care products |
| Owner | Bain Capital and Cinven (since 2017) |
| Website | www |
Stada Arzneimittel AG is a pharmaceutical enterprise based in Bad Vilbel, Germany, that operates under a strategic framework centered on three core segments: consumer healthcare (including over-the-counter medications), generic pharmaceuticals, and specialty drugs. Its product distribution extends to nearly 120 countries globally. In 2022, the company generated revenues amounting to €3.79 billion.
Among its notable offerings are Stada-branded acetaminophen and lactulose, the cold remedy Grippostad-C, Silomat cough syrup, and Ladival sun care products. Additionally, Stada participates in philanthropic activities, providing support to organizations such as dolphin aid e.V. and a children's village located in Timișoara, Romania.
Foundation and Initial Development
Established in Dresden in 1895 originally as a cooperative pharmacy, the name Stada derives from the phrase Standardarzneimittel Deutscher Apotheker (Standard Drugs of German Pharmacists). Following World War II, the company relocated first to Essen and then to Tübingen, before finally moving its headquarters to Bad Vilbel in 1956. Stada became a publicly traded company in 1970, initially offering shares exclusively to pharmacists. The firm entered the generics market five years later, in 1975.
Public Trading Period, 1993–2018
In 1999, Stada’s German branch NIDDApharm GmbH launched operations within Germany’s generic pharmaceutical sector, which was valued at about 300 million DM at that time.
September 2000 marked a 1:10 stock split on the Frankfurt Stock Exchange for Stada shares. The following month, through its Italian subsidiary EG S.p.A., the company acquired the "Bonomelli Farmacia" product range.
In July 2001, Stada made its entry into the U.S. generics market by purchasing MOVA Laboratories Inc. The subsequent year saw acquisitions of Spanish generic drug suppliers Bayvit S.A from Bayer and Vita S.A., alongside taking over marketing responsibilities for Italian firm Crinos SpA. In Brazil, Stada formed a joint venture named Ava Stada Pharma Latin America Ltda., where it held a majority 51% stake. It also expanded its ownership in Spain’s Ciclum Farma S.A. to 74%.
By January 2003, Stada had secured a controlling interest in Italian distributor Pharmajani SpA to bolster its distribution network within Italy. Later that year in October, it acquired UK-based Schein Pharmaceutical Holdings for €17 million.
In August 2004, the company gained a controlling stake of 97.47% in Russian pharmaceutical company Nizhpharm OJSC for approximately €80.5 million.
During 2005, Stada purchased Portuguese generics provider Ciclum Farma for €31 million and acquired a majority share (58%) in Chinese manufacturer Beijing Center-Lab Pharmaceutical Company Ltd for €3.5 million.
July 2006 involved divesting its U.S. subsidiary Stada Inc. for $40 million (€31 million) and initiating its largest acquisition by bidding €485 million for Serbian pharmaceutical group Hemofarm.
In August 2007, further expansion occurred in Russia through Nizhpharm’s acquisition of Makiz Group for €125 million, accompanied by the purchase of UK pharmaceutical group Forum Bioscience Holdings Ltd for £37.7 million (€55.6 million).
November 2011 saw Stada acquire the generics division of Spirig Pharma AG for CHF 97 million (€78 million).
The consumer healthcare segment was strengthened with the August 2013 acquisition of UK-based over-the-counter manufacturer Thornton & Ross for £221.1 million (€259.2 million), followed by the November 2016 purchase of vitamin and supplement producer Natures Aid.
Bain Capital and Cinven Ownership, 2018–Present
Between the end of 2016 and the beginning of 2017, Stada received multiple takeover proposals. In February 2017, the private equity firm Advent International announced a public cash offer of €58 per share, valuing the company at approximately $3.7 billion in addition to a dividend payout for 2016. By March, additional contenders appeared, including CVC Capital Partners, which had supported Stada against activist investor challenges in 2016, collaborating with either China's Fosun Pharmaceutical or Shanghai Pharmaceuticals Holding. Furthermore, Mylan and pharmaceutical leader Merck & Co were reportedly preparing bids with advisory support from Credit Suisse.
In April 2017, a private equity alliance formed by Bain Capital and Cinven presented a €5.3 billion (£4.5 billion) offer, proposing €65.28 per share plus a €0.72 dividend. Nevertheless, by June 27, their bid did not achieve the necessary 67.5% shareholder consent, obtaining only 65.52%. Subsequently, in August 2017, Bain Capital and Cinven finalized the acquisition of Stada Arzneimittel, marking a crucial change in ownership led by private equity investors.
Overview
The company's history involves various mergers, acquisitions, divestitures, and predecessor entities such as:
Stada Arzneimittel AG
- NIDDApharm GmbH
- Stada UK Holdings
- Schein Pharmaceutical Holdings UK Ltd (Acquired 2003)
- Forum Bioscience Holdings Ltd
- Thornton & Ross (Acquired 2013)
- Natures Aid (Acquired 2016)
- EG S.p.A
- Crinos SpA
- Pharmajani SpA
- Stada Inc. (Divested 2006)
- MOVA Laboratories Inc.
- Ava Stada Pharma Latin America Ltda
- Bayvit S.A
- Ciclum Farma, Unipessoal LDA
- Nizhpharm OAO
- MAKIZ Group
- ZAO MAKIZ-Pharma
- ZAO Skopinpharm
- ZAO Biodyne Pharmaceuticals
- MAKIZ Group
- Stada Pharmaceuticals (Asia) Ltd
- Beijing Center-Lab Pharmaceutical Company Ltd
- Health Vision Enterprise Ltd
Executive History
Matthias Widenfels stepped down as CEO in January 2017 due to personal reasons and was temporarily replaced by Engelbert Coster Tjeenk Willink. Following the acquisition by Cinven and Bain Capital, Claudio Albrecht assumed the CEO role in September 2017. In September 2018, Peter Goldschmidt—previously leading Sandoz North America—took over as CEO from Albrecht, who continued with the company in a non-executive capacity.
The supervisory board was once led by Carl Ferdinand Oetker; by 2018, Günter von Au had taken over as chairman.