MSD divests six brands to Zydus Cadila in India

Ahmedabad-based drug maker Zydus Cadila has acquired six brands from the Indian unit of US pharmaceutical giant Merck for an undisclosed amount.

This acquisitions will strengthen Zydus’ portfolio in key therapeutic segments. 

The brands—Deca-Durabolin, Durabolin, Sustanon, Multiload, Sicastat and Axeten—belong to therapeutic areas of men’s health, women’s health, wound management and cardiovascular diseases and had combined sales of Rs84 crore in 2015, Cadila Healthcare said in a stock exchange filing.

Among other acquired brands, Multiload, an IUD device is expected to widen the offerings in women’s contraceptives. AXETEN is a well-known anti-hypertensive brand and Sicastat is used in wound management. With its large field force and wider reach, Zydus expects to make available and grow these brands significantly over the next few years.

Its deal with Zydus includes transfer of distribution and commercialisation rights as well as assignment of trademarks of all the six brands to Zydus Healthcare Ltd in India.

Organon (India), one of the legal subsidiaries through which MSD operates in India, has also transferred the distribution and commercialisation rights for Deca-Durabolin and Durabolin for Nepal to Zydus.