Zydus Cadilla buys Italian R&D major

Healthcare company Zydus Cadilla has acquired Italy-based Etna Biotech, the wholly-owned subsidiary of Dutch biopharma company Crucell, said the company in a release to BSE. However, the company did not specify the amount it paid for the acquisition.

Crucell, which was focused on biologicals, entered the vaccine space with the acquisition of Berna Biotech, a globally owned, specialised vaccine company. Etna was the dedicated research and development wing of Berna Biotech.

The deal marks Zydus Cadilla's first acquisition in the research space and offers the group a research platform for developing new vaccines and technology.

Currently, Etna Biotech has several technologies and vaccines at different development stages in its pipeline. Prominent among these are the programs for developing vaccines against Hepatitis using the Virosome vaccine technology platform and against Malaria and HPV using the Measles technology platform.