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www.fdanews.com/articles/89926-actavis-expands-indian-presence-api-business

ACTAVIS EXPANDS INDIAN PRESENCE, API BUSINESS

February 16, 2007

Actavis announced this week that it has acquired the active pharmaceutical ingredient (API) division of Indian drugmaker Sanmar Specialty Chemicals. The acquisition price was not disclosed.

The acquisition provides Actavis with a U.S. FDA-approved facility in which to develop and manufacture its own APIs. The facility, located near Chennai, India, supplies APIs to international pharmaceuticals companies in Europe and the U.S. Actavis now has a total of 30 API projects under development in India.

"We foresee that both development and manufacturing of APIs will become an increasing part of our business," Robert Wessman, president and CEO of Actavis, said.

Actavis said the acquisition will strongly complement the Chennai-based manufacturing facilities it acquired from Grandix Pharmaceuticals in December 2006, as well as the contract research organization business, Lotus Laboratories, it acquired in 2005.

The company also recently entered into a licensing and distribution agreement with Orchid Chemicals & Pharmaceuticals for the marketing of nine of Orchid's generic cephalosporin formulations in Europe.