At the beginning of August, DAIICHI SANKYO DEUTSCHLAND GmbH is planning to take over most of the sales force for primary-care physicians in Germany used by Merck Pharma GmbH and to integrate them into the existing sales structure. The agreement between the German subsidiary of the third-largest Japanese pharmaceutical group and the Darmstadt-based company will affect about 130 employees. The employees of Merck Pharma GmbH will receive individual offers from DAIICHI SANKYO. With this agreement, DAIICHI SANKYO DEUTSCHLAND is counterbalancing the strong trend to eliminate sales positions in the German pharmaceutical market and is significantly expanding its workforce.
"With OLMETEC® and EVISTA®, we are marketing strong-selling and patented medications to fight high blood pressure and osteoporosis in Germany. Once we receive government approval, we intend to offer cardiovascular products in the German market this year and next year. As a result, we need many new, highly qualified employees in our sales force so that we can compete on a level playing field," said Ralf Göddertz, Managing Director of DAIICHI SANKYO DEUTSCHLAND GmbH. The acquisition of a smoothly functioning, successful sales force that has extensive experience in the area of cardiovascular diseases is an excellent way to meet the large need for additional employees, Göddertz said. "By taking this approach, we can also help preserve well over 100 jobs in the German pharmaceutical industry," he added.
The Japanese pharmaceutical group is confident that most of the employees at Merck Pharma GmbH will accept the company's offer after they are approached. "DAIICHI SANKYO is a Japanese company with a long tradition and places a high priority on the well-being of its employees. We are also a rapidly growing company in Germany and Europe, and we will make an attractive offer to the employees of Merck Pharma GmbH," Göddertz said.
For DAIICHI SANKYO, the agreement with Merck represents the fourth major transaction conducted in Germany within a year: In July 2007, the central European production site located in the Bavarian city of Pfaffenhofen was expanded as part of a €25 million project. In February, it extended its partnership with the biotech company Morphosys, located in the city of Martinsried near Munich, to develop cancer-fighting monoclonal antibodies. And in May, DAIICHI SANKYO acquired U3 Pharma, another biotech company in Martinsried, in a closely followed transaction. In addition, the company has announced a takeover offer for Ranbaxy, India's largest pharmaceutical manufacturer, which also has a subsidiary in Germany.
In taking these steps, the group is moving quickly to achieve its strategic objectives in Germany and Europe. By 2015, it also intends to be one of Europe's leading pharmaceutical companies. This strategy is designed to reverse the company's current relationship of turnover: Today, about 70 percent of consolidated turnover is generated in Japan. By 2015, about 70 percent of consolidated turnover is to be achieved outside Japan as a result of corresponding growth in sales.
About DAIICHI SANKYO Company, Limited
DAIICHI SANKYO Company, Limited, established in 2005 after the merger of two leading century-old Japanese pharmaceutical companies, is a global pharmaceutical innovator, continuously generating innovative drugs that enrich the quality of life for patients around the world. The company uses its cumulative knowledge and expertise in the fields of cardiovascular disease, cancer, metabolic disorders, and infection as a foundation for developing an abundant product lineup and R&D pipeline. For more information, visit www.daiichi-sankyo.eu.