Merz Acquires Neocutis

Merz Pharma Group (Frankfurt am Main) has entered into a definitive agreement with Swiss dermatology company Neocutis S.A. to acquire the privately held company’s cosmetics, OTC, and Rx skin care business. The acquisition of Neocutis strengthens Merz’s market position in the field of aesthetics and reflects the Company’s strategy to establish itself as a global leader in medical and aesthetic dermatology.

“Neocutis is an innovative company with an excellent presence in the US market, and a promising potential for development,” said Philip Burchard, CEO of Merz Pharma Group. “This transaction is an important step to expand our U.S. business, as Neocutis products are an excellent addition to our own aesthetics portfolio.”

The acquisition, which closed on July 22, 2013, will be managed in North America by Merz Pharma Group’s US affiliate, Merz North America, Inc., which will also integrate marketing of Neocutis’ line of physician-dispensed topical skin care products in the US.

“The acquisition of Neocutis significantly strengthens Merz’s presence in the US aesthetics market,” said Bill Humphries, president and CEO of Merz North America, Inc. “Neocutis’ line of topical skin care products complements our current portfolio of aesthetic injectable products and expands our ability to provide patients and physicians with innovative, high-quality aesthetic products along the full continuum of care. We are excited to welcome the Neocutis team to the Merz family; we look forward to learning from them and seeing their contributions to our continued growth in North America. We are proud to contribute to Merz’s global leadership in aesthetic and medical dermatology, and we remain committed to growing the US business via both organic growth and additional licensing and acquisition opportunities.”

In the US, Merz Pharma Group’s affiliate Merz North America is a contributor to the aesthetics space, offering a well-balanced range of products for minimally invasive treatments, including the dermal fillers Radiesse Volumizing Filler and Belotero Balance, the neurotoxin Xeomin (incobotulinumtoxinA), the Mederma family of products for scar care and stretch marks therapy and an injectable product for the treatment of varicose veins.

Neocutis S.A. was founded in February 2003 as a spin-off of the medical faculty of the Lausanne University Clinic, Switzerland. The privately owned company is headquartered in Lausanne, Switzerland and develops and distributes innovative cosmetic products for dermatologic conditions and anti-aging skincare. The company entered the U.S. market in 2009 and since that time has seen double-digit growth annually.

Following the acquisition, Merz North America plans to leverage Neocutis’ existing preferred customer programs with the Merz Aesthetics product line to provide additional benefits to physicians and patients.