Sandoz acquires EBEWE Pharma's oncology injectable business

BASEL, Switzerland The generics arm of drug maker Novartis has acquired part of a generics company focused on cancer treatment.

Sandoz announced that it had acquired the specialty generic injectables business of EBEWE Pharma for $1.2 billion. EBEWE’s injectable neurological drugs businesses was not part of the transaction.

“The addition of EBEWE Pharma’s leading portfolio of oncology medicines fits our strategy and improves our ability to help cancer patients around the world by providing easier access to therapies,” said Novartis chairman and CEO Daniel Vasella. “These medicines will remain the backbone of multi-drug treatments in the fight against cancer, one of the world’s leading causes of death.”

Sandoz said many of the drugs in EBEWE’s portfolio — including paclitaxel, epirubicin, methotrexate, oxaliplatin, carboplatin, doxorubicin and gemcitabine — are “essential components” of standard-of-care guidelines for treating many types of cancers.