Biogaran is for sale: why the interest of certain buyers of the French leader in generic medicines worries ?

Biogaran est à vendre, et cela inquiète. ILLUSTRATION NASSIRA BELMEKKI

Biogaran, the French leader in generic medicines, is officially for sale. But why is the interest of certain investors worrying?

The French generic drug giant is for sale and that’s not good news. Biogaran produces 350 million boxes of medicine annually but according to France Info, four potential buyers are interested. This news, confirmed by Les Échos is very worrying, we will explain.

Towards relocation ?

If 50% of its production is done in France and 90% in Europe, Biogaran, which for the moment still belongs to Servier, does not have its own factories and goes through -contractors, which represent no less than 8 600 jobs, indicates the Huffington Post.

The problem with this sale: interested buyers. Among them, two Indians, Torrent Pharmaceuticals and Aurobindo Pharma. The first group, Torrent Pharmaceuticals, would already be very close to an agreement, says L’Informed.

If the negotiations of one of the two result in a sale, the production of Biogaran could take place elsewhere than in France and be relocated for economic reasons and interests. Thus, thousands of French and European jobs would find themselves threatened.

"A strategic file"

"This is a strategic issue for the question of its industrial footprint, since this group employs around forty producers in France. It does not have a direct industrial footprint because it does not have factories, but it employs several subcontractors", said’ ;nbsp;Frédéric Bizard, professor of economics at ESCP Europe and president of the Health Institute, at the microphone of France Info this Wednesday morning.

🔴 Biogaran en vente ➡️ "C'est un scénario cauchemar qui est en train de s'installer […] Environ un médicament sur six provient de Biogaran", estime Frédéric Bizard, professeur d’économie à ESCP Europe et président de l’Institut Santé. pic.twitter.com/Oc4aAIixaG

— franceinfo (@franceinfo) April 18, 2024

Only the government could save the French leader by opposing the takeover by a non-European buyer, by precisely invoking the question of sovereignty, as part of the vast plan of&nbsp ;reindustrialization of France of which health is part. "The State follows and is very vigilant on this issue", underlined this Thursday Roland Lescure, Minister of Industry.

"Biogaran is one in six drugs consumed in France", recalls Frédéric Bizard.