94 Finance Monthly. Transaction Reports Raphaël: My own work was in implementation – helping to organise contributions, sales, shareholders’ agreements and other aspects, and to coordinate with the fundraising involving debt. In this transaction, there was a reinvestment by all the investment funds that were involved in the previous rounds, which was quite remarkable. There was also a new player at the table, a new investment firm which proves to be very active in the healthcare sector: Vivalto. There was also the need to refinance the pre-existing debt, so it was quite a transaction in general. What significance may this transaction have for the wider French healthcare sector? Raphaël: To go back to the trend that we mentioned earlier, I think that this is a signal to the market that investment firms active in the healthcare sector have to retarget laboratories performing this very important function. In terms of marketing and ESG, firms like Laboratoires Delbert are attractive to investment firms. Its symbolic potential is also a good thing for smaller laboratories in the French market, as other firms will invest into laboratories performing the same very important function for the healthcare industry. It will help bring together willing funders and the mission of the laboratories. Mathieu: This is, in my opinion, quite an emblematic transaction on the French private equity market as the life sciences and healthcare sector become better regarded by investment firms. This transaction shows that there is a strong appetite from such firms to invest in this type of company. I would add that this transaction also highlights a very contemporary subject matter relating to the drug shortage, because the activity of Laboratoires Delbert is concerned with putting medical products back onto the market. Raphaël: This shortage is more and more acute in France, as the COVID crisis demonstrated that drugs as common as aspirin and paracetamol were in short supply. The French state has since realised that big pharma is no longer performing the role of ensuring the supply of basic and critical medicines on the market and has decided to push the industry to reinvest in France and re-establish French production facilities. Transactions like this are of great interest to the public interest. Mathieu: Adding to that, Laboratoires Delbert has a recognised expertise in securing the production chain to meet the risk of supply disruptions. The firm has positioned itself as a reference partner for healthcare and regulatory authorities. Prior to this transaction, we historically assisted Laboratoires Delbert in a previous fund raising in order to finance the company’s external growth ambitions, simultaneously with the acquisition of Lepticur (a major antiparkinsonian drug) from SANOFI-AVENTIS in 2020. This contribution of €20 million of equity was supplemented by unit-branch financing provided by BPIFrance and CIC Mezzanine, also for €20 million, which gave the laboratory the means to accelerate the pace of acquisition of new marketing authorisations as well as its internationalisation. Two years later, LPA-CGR avocats assisted Laboratoires Delbert in the acquisition of TERALITHE 250mg, scored tablet, and TERALITHE LP 400mg, extended-release scored tablet, from SANOFI, and its financing. The company pursued its commitment to invest in medicines of major therapeutic interest (MITM) and reinforced the execution of its strategy to ensure the availability of essential medicines for patients. What other services does your firm offer in the healthcare sector? Raphaël: In addition to pharmaceutical laboratories, we LPA-CGR avocats desires to position itself at the heart of its clients’ strategic issues by providing them with a comprehensive, cutting-edge life sciences and healthcare offer.
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy Mjk3Mzkz