Zydus Lifesciences has acquired the United Kingdom-headquartered LiqMeds Group of companies, which specialises in the development, manufacturing, and supply of oral liquid products, for £68 million (an estimated ₹690 crore).

Dr. Sharvil Patel, Zydus Lifesciences Managing Director, said liquid orals were a large, growing market that served unmet needs with significant new market expansion opportunities. “We believe that oral liquid formulations would help geriatric and paediatric patients, bringing greater ease of convenience and therapy compliance,” he said.

While the buy is a first in the UK for Zydus, it gives the Ahmedabad-based drugmaker end-to-end capabilities that would help target markets in Europe and the United States, an industry representative familiar with the transaction said.

The transaction was executed through Zydus’ wholly-owned UK subsidiary and involves yearly earn-outs until 2026, depending on the achievement of certain agreed milestones towards the acquisition of the LiqMeds Group of companies, Zydus told the stock exchanges. The transaction will be EPS-accretive for Zydus from the first year of acquisition, it added.

Currently, LiqMeds commercialises its oral liquid products through partners. And the group’s subsidiary, LM Manufacturing Limited (LMML), has an oral liquids manufacturing site at Weedon, Northampton, UK, which supplies products to the US and UK markets.

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