Nordic PE firm EQT in bid for pharma giant Ratiopharm

Other private equity groups are thought to be interested in buying the world’s fourth largest drug manufacturer.

Permira has paired with the former chief executive of Merck Generics, Hank Klakurka.

Advent International is being advised by Bernhard Hampl, an experienced drug industry figure who has worked at Hexal and Sandoz, and this year became chairman of Fresenius, the report said.

The private equity bidders, which also include buy-out houses TPG and KKR, are expected to be offered vendor financing by Commerzbank to complete any deal that may go through.

Non-private equity bidders are said to include pharmaceutical companies Teva of Israel and Sanofi-Aventis of France.

When it was founded in 1973, Ratiopharm was Europe's first manufacturer of generic pharmaceuticals, it claims. The company - which produces around 750 prescription and non-prescription preparations and sells 550 million packs of medicine per year worldwide - was owned by the late German business tycoon Adolf Merckle and is being sold off by his empire.

Non-binding offers for the comapany must be submitted by 3 December.

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