Blue Wolf Capital Partners LLC (“Blue Wolf”), a middle-market private equity firm specializing in the industrial and healthcare sectors, has announced the completion of its acquisition of seven pharmaceutical manufacturing facilities from Recipharm, a leading contract development and manufacturing organization (CDMO).
These newly acquired facilities include Solna, Stängnäs, Höganäs, Karlskoga, and Uppsala OTC Development in Sweden, as well as sites in Pessac, France, and Parets, Spain. These locations specialize in the production of oral solid, semi-solid, and liquid pharmaceutical products, serving over 120 global clients with a strong track record in quality and regulatory compliance.
Further strengthening its foothold in the sector, Blue Wolf has also entered into an agreement, pending regulatory approval, to acquire Synerlab, a Strasbourg-based CDMO with six operational sites across France and Spain. Synerlab brings expertise in pharmaceutical manufacturing and development, including specialized technologies such as lyophilization and sterile liquid finished dosage forms.
These acquisitions mark a significant step toward Blue Wolf’s goal of creating a leading CDMO platform in the pharmaceutical industry.
Strategic Leadership and Future Plans
To lead the new combined entity, Blue Wolf is assembling an experienced executive team, with Bruce Vielle, current CEO of Synerlab, set to take on the role of CEO. He will be supported by:
- Peter Kruger as Chief Commercial Officer (previously Commercial Director of the Recipharm facilities acquired by Blue Wolf);
- Rich Fenton as Chief Financial Officer (formerly CFO of TFL Group and Norgren Europe);
- Steve Leonard as Chief Operating Officer (previously VP of Global Operations and Supply Chain at Integra Life Sciences);
- Saurabh Singh as Chief Strategy Officer (formerly VP of Strategy and Business Development at Avet Pharmaceuticals and Director of M&A at AMRI);
- Amy Mort as Group HR Director (previously holding a similar role for the Recipharm facilities acquired by Blue Wolf).
Additionally, industry veterans William Marth and George Svokos will join the board of directors. Marth, currently President and COO of Resilience, previously served as CEO of AMRI (now Curia) and spent 14 years in leadership roles at Teva Pharmaceuticals. Svokos, CEO of Avet Pharmaceuticals, brings over three decades of experience from Teva and AMRI, specializing in manufacturing, operations, sales, and business development.
A European CDMO Powerhouse
With its headquarters in the United Kingdom, the new CDMO platform will establish a diverse manufacturing footprint across key Western European markets. Blue Wolf aims to drive growth and expand the platform’s commercial reach across Europe and beyond.
“Bringing together the teams from the Recipharm sites and Synerlab to build a new CDMO platform is an exciting opportunity,” said Bruce Vielle, CEO of Synerlab. “We will merge these two cultures to create an even stronger organization that serves both our clients and patients.“
“Acquiring proven, multi-site, full-service CDMO assets that deliver high-quality pharmaceutical manufacturing solutions presents an exciting opportunity,” added Shashank Patel, Principal at Blue Wolf. “We look forward to collaborating with our new partners in Europe to establish a premier CDMO focused on exceptional service and high-quality pharmaceutical products worldwide.“
Blue Wolf expects to announce the new name of the CDMO platform by the end of the year. The Synerlab transaction is expected to close in Q4 2024, pending regulatory approvals. The financial details of the transactions have not been disclosed.