The deal, financial terms of which have not been disclosed, will see Lochlomond share ownership of Hungary-based Ubichem Research with the organisation’s managing director Jozsef Repasi who will hold the remaining minority stake in the firm.
Ubichem Pharma Services’ (UPS) offering includes heterocyclic chemistry, custom synthesis, lead optimisation and contract analytical services for active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) and intermediates.
And, this time last year, UPS added radio-labelled API supply to its range of services after gaining approval from the Hungarian authorities for cGMP-quality production operations at its plant in Budapest.
This approval meant the firm could begin supplying customers in Europe thanks under a mutual recognition agreement Hungary has with European Union (EU) authorities.
In a press release Repasi said the sale to Lochlomond "will facilitate ambitious plans for further growth of our business and enable us to provide an even better service to our customers."
UPS spokesman Geoff Porritt echoed this, telling Outsouring-Pharma.com that: “Both laboratory and production capacity are to be increased, with separate facilities for non-GMP and GMP production.”
Dr Porritt added that: “Ubichem Pharma Services has been run as a separate business unit over the last few years, and there will be continuity of contacts and communication, for our customers.
“The business development and marketing operations in Europe and the US are being transferred as part of Ubichem Pharma Services and Ubichem Research, so again, there will be continuity as far as our customers are concerned.
Porritt also said that the split from Ubichem Fine Chemicals will not have an impact on UPS soucring operations.
“Due to the nature of the work undertaken at Ubichem Research and the sourcing requirements for production there, sourcing has largely been carried out by our group in Budapest over the last few years, so independence will not have a great impact on the way we work in this area.”