Recombinant human albumin is a critical component in the manufacture of biopharmaceuticals, particularly in modalities such as cell therapies, viral therapies and vaccines.
Satorius will make the acquisition via its French subgroup Sartorius Stedim Biotech, acquiring 100% of Albumedix from private investors for £415m ($502m).
Cell culture media business
Founded in 1984, Nottingham-based Albumedix has more than 100 employees and is expected to generate revenue of approximately £33m ($40m) in 2022 with a significant double-digit EBITDA margin.
It provides recombinant albumin-based solutions: with recombinant human albumin being an important component for the biopharmaceutical industry required for various applications, for example as an animal-free additive to cell culture media and for the stabilization of vaccines and viral therapies.
Albumedix will become part of the Bioprocess Solutions Division, and its existing 72,000-square-foot site in Nottingham will be established as a center of excellence for innovation and GMP-compliant production of critical raw materials.
“Albumedix will be an important addition to Sartorius’ advanced therapy solutions, particularly regarding our cell culture media business, as it will enable us to strengthen our position as a relevant supplier of innovative chemically defined media and critical ancillary materials,” said René Fáber, member of the Executive Board for the Bioprocess Solutions Division of Sartorius.
“This market offers high growth potential due to the increasing regulatory requirements as well as rising demand for the use of recombinant human albumin in near-patient applications. Albumedix will also add important formulation excipients to our vaccine production solutions, allowing us to expand our existing customer relationships and forge new ones.”
Jonas S. Møller, CEO of Albumedix, said Sartorius will help the company strengthen its market reach and broaden its innovation capacity, as well as significantly scaling up its existing platform.
“We are delighted to be joining forces with Sartorius and look forward to accelerating our ambitious growth plans in delivering critical solutions to our global customers,” he said.
The transaction is subject to regulatory approval and is expected to close before the end of the third quarter of 2022.
