Page 152 - CW E-Magazine (8-4-2025)

Pharmaceuticals

COLLABORATION
Steer World and Swiss fi rm, Gericke, join hands to advance

continuous granulation in pharma manufacturing

Steer World, a Bengaluru-based tomers require and for all products that
materials processing technology fi rm, can be granulated using Integraal tech-
has announced a collaboration with nology. It will cater to the pharmaceu-
Gericke, a Switzerland-based expert in tical and nutraceutical sectors, focusing
powder processing equipment and sys- on OSD forms.
tem integration. The partners will work
on delivering a continuous granulation “By combining Gericke’s system
system tailored to the needs of pharma- integration expertise with Steer’s
ceutical manufacturers, transforming For these advantages to be fully patented technology, we are creating
the production of Oral Solid Dosage realised, a robust, integrated continuous a breakthrough solution that enhances
(OSD) forms. granulation system is required – beyond effi ciency, sustainability, and product
just individual products. This is sought quality,” said Mr. Rajesh Srinivasan,
Customers in the pharmaceutical to be addressed with the Steer World- CDO at Steer World.
industry are increasingly seeking a seam- Gericke collaboration. Gericke brings
less, end-to-end continuous granulation expertise in system integration, including Mr. Berhnard Meir, Head of Conti-
process – from bin to bin – that offers feeding systems, granulation, and down- nuous Manufacturing (Pharma) at
numerous benefi ts, including consis- stream blending, while Steer World will Gericke, added, “This partnership will
tent granule properties, reduced manual contribute its patented Integraal conti- be a game-changer, offering customers
intervention, lower analytics costs, nuous granulation technology. a cutting-edge approach to manufac-
decreased energy consumption, and a turing that aligns with the industry’s
smaller operational footprint compared This collaboration will be offered evolving needs, especially at scale
to conventional batch processing. across all throughput ranges that cus- production.”

KKR sells 5.8% stake in JB Chemicals for around Rs. 1,500-cr

Around 90-lakh shares of JB Chemi- company. The shares were sold at prices stake in JB Chemicals & Pharmaceuti-
cals and Pharmaceuticals were sold ranging from Rs. 1625-1625.34 per cals has come down to 47.88 percent
by private equity fi rm KKR on the share. The US-based KKR offl oaded from 53.66 percent. One of the buy-
National Stock Exchange for close the shares in four separate transactions. ers was Kotak Mahindra Mutual Fund,
to Rs. 1,500-crore on March 27. The KKR-affi liate Tau Investment Holdings which acquired a little over 12.3-lakh
number of shares traded accounted for Pte is the promoter of JB Chemicals & shares at Rs. 1,625 each. The names of
5.78 percent of the total equity of the Pharmaceuticals. After the sale, its the other buyers were not revealed.

Kedaara, TA Associates in race to buy minority stake
in US-based Sagent Pharma

India’s Kedaara Capital and US- million in Sagent at a $500-600-million In 2023, Penmetsa-controlled
based TA Associates are among a clutch valuation, the report informed. Ellimist Singapore Pte acquired the
of private equity (PE) fi rms in talks to then loss-making Sagent from Japan’s
acquire a signifi cant minority stake in Founded in 2006 in Illinois, Sagent Nichi-Iko for an undisclosed amount.
US-based Sagent Pharma, owned by leads the US market for generic inject- Nichi-Iko, a leading Japanese generic
former Gland Pharma promoter Ravi ables. Sagent’s product portfolio spans drugmaker, had acquired Sagent in
Penmetsa, said an Economic Times vials, syringes and premix bags in areas 2016 for $736-mn to tap into the
report quoting unnamed sources. These of anti-infective, critical care, oncology markets for biosimilars and orphan
PE fi rms may invest a total of $150-200- and anaesthesia. drugs.

152 Chemical Weekly April 8, 2025

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