Novartis Animal Health has acquired Grand Laboratories Inc and ImmTech Biologics Inc, two US companies specialized in the development, manufacture and marketing of vaccine products for cattle and pigs. The acquisitions provide Novartis with immediate entry into the world's largest farm animal vaccine market, the US. The two businesses generated combined revenues of USD 33 million in 2001. Financial details were not disclosed.

"These acquisitions are strategically linked by strong synergies," said Hans-Beat Gürtler, CEO of Novartis' Animal Health Sector. "Grand Laboratories' well-established manufacturing, registration and marketing capabilities ideally support and enhance ImmTech's state-of-the-art research. The two companies have an exciting development portfolio in important disease areas that are not fully covered by vaccines today," Gürtler added.

Novartis Animal Health has been strategically expanding into the attractive and growing animal vaccine market since 1999, when it bought the British company Vericore. The following year it acquired the Canadian vaccine businesses of Biostar and Cobequid.

Grand Laboratories Inc is one of the largest animal vaccine companies in the US, which offers a broad range of conventional cattle and pig vaccines.

ImmTech Biologics Inc is focused on the development of novel products for cattle and pig rearing. The company holds several proprietary technologies and also has a number of new product introductions pending.

The acquisitions include the production sites and research facilities of both companies, as well as all brands of cattle and pig vaccines for respiratory and enteric diseases.