CERUS Announces the Acquisition of Laboratori Derivati Organici SpA (LDO) by Opocrin SpA

Cerus Corporation Advisors DMCC, (CERUS), a boutique family office management firm, announced the acquisition of 100% of the stock of Laboratori Derivati Organici SpA (LDO) by Opocrin SpA (“Opocrin”), a global manufacturer of Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients (“API”). LDO, the flagship holding in the life sciences vertical of the CERUS family office portfolio, is a leading global company focused on the production of biological active pharmaceutical ingredients derived from animal origin. The product portfolio of LDO includes heparin, which is a widely used medication that prevents the formation of blood clots, along with a series of other specialized biological APIs.

“Cerus Advisors has dedicated significant time and resources to the development of LDO over the last 9 years and this transaction represents the culmination of these efforts,” said Marios Fotiadis, M.B.A., Chairman, Manager Partner. “We are also pleased with the creation of a group that has significant potential for continued value creation for its shareholders.”

This transaction represents a significant step forward for Opocrin, making the company bigger, stronger and more competitive in a context where business-size is essential to face more and more ambitious challenges while continuing to offer the highest quality active biologic products. The new corporate entity born from the transaction will now have three state of the art production facilities in Italy, as well as one in Mexico, that in combination with the joint ventures in South America and China, will employee over 270 people globally. This positions Opocrin as one of the main producers of heparin and its derivatives worldwide, with an expected 2020 turnover higher than €170 million.

“When we founded Cerus, we intended to create a platform to generate strong financial results in a relatively short period while operationally and strategically guiding our portfolio companies,” said Kleanthis G. Xanthopoulos, Ph.D., Managing General Partner. “We are pleased to have made a step towards realizing this vision with the LDO sale.”