Heraeus Precious Metals announced that it has acquired Umicore’s Platinum Active Pharmaceutical Ingredient (API) business outside of South America. This transaction is a unique opportunity for Heraeus to strengthen its position and product portfolio. Through the integration, the company ensures a reliable and strong portfolio at competitive prices without compromising on excellent quality.
The business is transferred to Heraeus Precious Metals, the precious metals division of the Heraeus Group and a leading company in the platinum API industry, with immediate effect.
“Our mission is to reliably provide customers with the highest quality products – ensuring effective treatment for as many cancer patients as possible,” said Dr. Andrea Lamberti, Head of Pharmaceutical Ingredients at Heraeus Precious Metals. “This is not just a business opportunity; it’s a commitment to excellence and care. By merging our strengths, we create synergies that allow us to offer a robust portfolio at competitive prices, all while maintaining our uncompromising standards of quality.”
The acquisition does not include Umicore’s platinum API business or production facility in South America and other, non-platinum molecules. “Heraeus Precious Metals is the ideal partner for our customers outside of South America as they share our commitment to excellent quality, in a transaction that provides synergies for all parties” said Michael Schwarz – Commercial Director Global API Business at Umicore.
Cancer is one of the major health issues worldwide. According to the World Health Organization, cancer is the cause of nearly one in six deaths and, alarmingly, this number is expected to rise further. Therefore, the need for a reliable supply of APIs is essential. In 2021, Heraeus Precious Metals already significantly expanded its platinum API production in Hanau with a multi-million-euro investment. The increased capacity enables the company to continue to respond promptly to high market demand in the future. The recent acquisition further expands this competency.
Since the 1970s, Heraeus is selling a broad portfolio of oncology APIs from Germany to the world. Amongst those are Cisplatin, Carboplatin and Oxaliplatin. To ensure availability of these essential medicines, Heraeus will continue to offer Umicore’s Cisplatin, Carboplatin and Oxaliplatin for a transitional period, alongside the corresponding own products.