Annual Report 2012 - Acino

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ACINO | PERFORMANCE REPORT
BtC Objectives 2013
• Roll-out Acino products
in new markets
• Continue the geographic expansion
into emerging growth regions
• Improve profitability
BtB Objectives 2013
• Step up out-licensing
and target new markets
• Reinforce development
of “Generics-Plus”
• Protect profitability
TM Objectives 2013
• Prepare for launch of the customer
contraceptive patch
• Intensify acquisition efforts
for additional custom projects
• Optimize portfolio mix
Acino is set for growth and performance improvements
The integration of the acquired businesses and the professional market development have
been a mainstay of the company’s activities in the year 2012. After this transition year, in
which the Group has paved the way for growth, the “new Acino” is ready to move forward
and grasp promising opportunities:
• BtC taking “Acino Switzerland” global. Acino intends to grow its BtC business through
additional product launches (from own development and in-licensing) and by expanding
the geographic reach.
In numerous markets, local registration of new Acino products and preparations for
market entry are progressing. In the MENA region, several products have already been
registered and are set to be launched shortly. Launches are also underway in Africa with
Kenya, Mauritius and Nigeria preparing to introduce fentanyl, clopidogrel, metoprolol
and the goserelin implant in 2013. In Asia, Thailand and Vietnam are in the lead with
2013 launches of fentanyl and clopidogrel.
The geographic expansion went one step further with the new cooperation between
Acino and Medial D&P Ltd. covering several countries in the CIS region. Under the newly
concluded agreement, Medial will provide registration, logistics as well as marketing
and promotion services in selected target markets including Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan,
Mongolia, Georgia, Azerbaijan, Armenia, and Uzbekistan.
• BtB emphasizing measures to protect profitability. The BtB business encounters fierce
competition and strong price pressure in many markets. New market entries of
competing oxycodone manufacturers, for example, will have a substantial effect on the
product profitability going forward. License agreements with potential partners for
additional markets where the patent only expired in November 2012 are under
negotiation and could partly compensate for lost sales.
In the attempt to fuel future growth and to escape price pressure in the European
markets, the out-licensing activities have been stepped up to cover all regions worldwide.
A cooperation agreement with a Japanese company and licensing deals with partners in
China and India are in negotiation. Furthermore, Acino has initiated the planning for an
implant product targeted at the US market. These efforts also benefit from Acino’s
global market presence and network with the BtC business.
The core element of the BtB business strategy remains the focus on products with a
“plus” which can be translated into a competitive advantage. Such value-added products
allow the company to approach and select business partners with marketing concepts
other than low price strategies.
• Technology Marketing targeting value-added customer projects. The strategic focus of
this business is on providing a broad spectrum of fully integrated and specialized
services – from development to manufacturing – to pharmaceutical companies. The
most advanced customer project is a contraceptive patch. In September 2012, Acino’s
Partner Bayer HealthCare announced that it has submitted an application for marketing
authorization in the European Union for its new transparent low dose contraceptive
patch (ethinylestradiol/gestodene). Acino will be manufacturing Bayer HealthCare’s
patch at its new pharmaceutical manufacturing plant for transdermal therapeutic
systems at the company site in Miesbach (Germany).
Coupledwiththereputationearnedinsuchaprestigiousproject,thebroadtechnological
skill base and the expertise in difficult-to-make products are expected to bolster Acino’s
technology marketing business and will facilitate additional project acquisitions.
In the mid to longer term, the profitability of the Operating Segment Technology
Marketing is expected to recover as new customer products, with higher margins, will
be manufactured by Acino and the orders from Teva/Mepha are likely to slowly regress.