Invent Farma and neuraxpharm appoint new group CEO

4th October 2016

Following the acquisitions of Invent Farma and neuraxpharm by funds advised by Apax Partners, Stephan Walz has been appointed Chief Executive Officer. He will assume the newly-created role of Group CEO and will be leading Invent Farma’ and neuraxpharm’s activities across all markets.

Following the acquisitions of Invent Farma and neuraxpharm (the “Group”) by funds advised by Apax Partners, Stephan Walz has been appointed Chief Executive Officer. He will assume the newly-created role of Group CEO and will be leading Invent Farma’ and neuraxpharm’s activities across all markets. 

Until 2015 Mr Walz was the CEO of Aristo, a Germany-headquartered, multi-country pharmaceutical company co-owned by the former Hexal founders. During Mr Walz’s 14 years at the helm of Aristo the company grew significantly, both organically and through a series of acquisitions, to become one of Germany’s leading generics and OTC pharma companies. 

Claudio Albrecht, former Actavis CEO and member of the Board of the Group, said:  “We are extremely pleased to have Stephan join our team. He comes with an impressive track-record at Aristo and crucial experience in both pharma manufacturing and marketing. In addition, he has many years of M&A experience, which will be a real asset as we grow our European footprint.” 

Stephan Walz commented:  “I am excited by the opportunity to create a leading European specialty generics player. Both Invent Farma and neuraxpharm have a long history of success in their respective markets and it will be a pleasure for me to continue that journey with such talented management teams in Spain and Germany. Thousands of patients and doctors across Europe use our products and it is our prime responsibility and duty to honour the trust they place in us every day.” 

#ends# 

Notes to editors: 

About Invent Farma
Located in Barcelona, Invent Farma develops, manufactures and markets generic drugs. It owns and operates manufacturing plants in Spain and comprises three divisions:

• Inke, a manufacturer of active pharmaceutical ingredients (“APIs”) which has a unique expertise in the respiratory area;

• Lesvi, a highly flexible manufacturer of finished dosage forms (“FDFs”) that has capabilities across multiple therapeutic areas; and
• Qualigen, which markets generic drugs in Spain and has a leading and rapidly growing franchise in the central nervous system (“CNS”) field.

About neuraxpharm
Located in Langenfeld near Düsseldorf, neuraxpharm is a leader in generic pharmaceutical products for the treatment of disorders of the central nervous system (CNS). Founded in 1985, the company is a trusted brand for neurologists, psychiatrists, pharmacists and patients. It has a portfolio of 100 predominantly differentiated products to serve the needs of CNS patients. 

About Apax Partners
Apax Partners LLP is a leading global private equity advisory firm. Over its more than 30 year history, Apax Partners has raised and advised funds with aggregate commitments of $38 billion*. Funds advised by Apax Partners invest in companies across four global sectors of Healthcare, Tech & Telco, Services and Consumer. These funds provide long-term equity financing to build and strengthen world-class companies. In the healthcare sector they have completed more than 80 investments, including in pharmaceuticals, medical devices and healthcare services. For further information about Apax Partners, please visit www.apax.com.

Apax Partners LLP is authorised and regulated by the FCA in the UK and is subject to the FCA's rules and guidance. Apax Partners’ registered office is 33 Jermyn Street, London, SW1Y 6DN, UK.  

* Funds raised since 1981, commitments converted from fund currency to USD at FX rates as at December 2015. 

Contact:

Georgiana Brunner, Matthew Goodman or Annabel Clay
Greenbrook Communications
Tel: +44 20 7952 2000
Email: apax@greenbrookpr.com