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18. APRIL 2008
According to a new SPECTARIS-study (from April 2008), patients are increasingly willing to pay an additional contribution for service and quality. Approx. two thirds of all patients and disabled people are willing to pay a surplus of 50 percent for standard medical aid products. Functionality and service are the most important criteria when choosing medical aids.

18. APRIL 2008
Marc Sommer, chairman of the Arcandor online pharmacy Primondo by Quelle, plans to add medication to its mail order catalogue and its homepage. As soon as the legal framework is created, this plan should be scrutinized. Sommer sees a large potential in this market.

18. APRIL 2008
The Icelandic generic company Actavis has purchased a 90-percent majority share at the Chinese company Zhejiang Chiral Medicine Chemicals Company. There is no information about the price paid. The production company in Hangzhou employs 200 employees and sells various agents to international pharmaceutical manufacturers since 2001. Therefore, Actavis has another location in a low-wage country. The company has other subsidiaries in India and China. Actavis produces generic drugs in 13 countries.

08. APRIL 2008
The Basel-based pharmaceutical company Novartis plans to buy Nestles Alcon-shares for 25 billion euros. Alcon is the market leader in ophthalmology and Nestle owns 77 percent at the moment. The scheduled takeover will be carried out in two steps: Novartis will instantly buy 25 percent of Alcon, the producer of contact lenses and surgical equipment and continuously increase this stake until 2011. Novartis obtains a purchase option for the remaining Alcon shares. Already at the end of 2006 and in April 2007, both companies agreed that Nestle will take over the business segments medical nutrition and Gerber infant nutrition from Novartis for 8 billion dollars.

08. APRIL 2008
The US-American pharmacy magnate Medco Health Solutions enters the German market by taking over the online pharmacy Europa Apotheek Venlo. The company has already taken over the majority share. According to its own records, Medco Health Solutions is the largest online pharmacy world-wide. In the fiscal year 2007, the company achieved a turnover of approx. 44.5 billion dollars. The co-operation with Medco will help the Dutch-based Europa Apotheek to acquire a leading position in Germany. At the moment, there is already a co-operation with the drugstore chain dm. Europa Apotheek employs approx. 150 employees.

02. APRIL 2008
Fresenius-Kabi which is specialized in infusions plans to expand its business. According to a company statement, this section plans to increase its turnover up to 3 billion euros until 2010. In the fiscal year 2007, the Kabi turnover exceeded 2 billion euros for the first time. In the next year, the profit is planned to rise from 12 to 15 percent. So far, Kabi contributes to 18 percent of the overall Fresenius revenue. Its largest segment is the DAX-listed dialysis specialist Fresenius Medical Care which contributes 62 percent of the overall revenue. The rest is divided up between the hospital operator Helios and the hospital service provider Vamed (formerly known as Pro Serve). The overall Fresenius turnover is expected to rise to 15 billion euros by 2010.

02. APRIL 2008
The British company Boots changes the name of its Norwegian branch, Alliance Apotek which momentarily has approx. 3,000 subsidiaries. The Boots-subsidiaries will not only sell its own cosmetic and drugstore brands, but also medication. Boots could therefore become a worldwide signet.

02. APRIL 2008
The investment branch of General Electrics plans to invest 500 million euros in the German nursing market in only two years. This would triple the companys investment volume in this real estate segment. In-patient nursery homes all over Germany are not scrutinized for purchase. According to media reports, Rainer Thaler, chairman of GE Germany, plans to expand its current properties by 13 nursing homes worth 170 million euros until 2010. Size and year of construction are not as much the decisive factors as a successful nursing home management. GE Real Estate is putting its emphasis on transparency.

01. APRIL 2008
GRE Global Real Estate AG plans to build a geriatric nursing home. The company is also specialized on developing real estate in the nursing business. The geriatric home with a total of 84 beds, a 24-hour cafeteria, 2 surgeries and 16 flats for assisted living is about to be built in Salzweg in the Passau vicinity.

01. APRIL 2008
The pharmacy co-operation parmapharm opens up a central purchasing network. Pharmapharm has approx. 700 member pharmacies and is therefore one of the largest pharmaceutical co-operations in Germany. Since 2003, the member pharmacies present themselves under the trademark "Gesund ist bunt" (Colourful is healthy). These pharmacies with its approx. 6,500 employees achieved a total annual turnover worth about 1.6 million euros. From now on, the Gesund-ist-bunt-pharmacies can manage their purchasing activities via their headquarters in Bielefeld.

31. MARCH 2008
According to a recent study, overall spending on medication in Germany has been rising rapidly in 2007. According to the pollster ACNielsen, the overall turnover has risen by 7.5 percent to 37 billion euros. The growth potential lies with prescription drugs which achieved a plus by 9.1 percent and therefore nearly 30 billion euros. The turnover for OTC products grew more slightly, by 1.5 percent to 7.5 billion euros. The turnover for self-medication drugs was 6.1 million euros. Pharmacies profited more from this trend than drugstores or retail markets. Their overall share was 87 percent.

31. MARCH 2008
Apart from its pharmacies and its 146 in-store clinics, the drugstore chain Walgreens plans to set up operational clinics for large companies. According to media reports, Walgreens has therefore taken over the clinic operator I-trax for approx. 278 million US-dollars. Walgreens already owns 300 clinics at companies such as BMW, Toyota or Continental Airlines.

31. MARCH 2008
The organizations BMG and BMFSFJ are setting up a quality management guideline for nursing homes. The German Minister for Health, Ms Ulla Schmidt and the German Minister for Families, Ms Ursula von der Leyen plan to bring more transparency into nursing homes. The call for tenders ends on April 4th 2008.

26. FEBRUARY 2008
According to the SEC (Security and Exchange Commission), Warren Buffett has bought stakes of two European pharmaceutical companies, GlaxoSmithKline and Sanofi-Aventis. Buffet and his company Berkshire Hathaway owns 1.51 million American Depository Receipts (ADR) by Glaxo with a market value of 76.1 million dollars and 3.6 million ADRs of the French company Sanofi-Aventis worth 162.5 million dollars per December 31st 2007. The overall portfolio has a value of 69 billion dollars.

26. FEBRUARY 2008
According to their annual report, the IMMAC Immobilienfonds GmbH has issued four real estate funds with an investment volume of more than 80 million euros in 2007. All funds were placed by the end of the year and only focused on geriatric nursing homes.

26. FEBRUARY 2008
The nursing home provider Arbeiterwohlfahrt (AWO) has found a new investor who will reconstruct the former "Hotel am Stadtpark" in Delmenhorst. The AWO plans to turn the hotel into a geriatric nursing home. The Oldenburg-based association Einsiedel & Partner will take part in the restructuring measures. The planned investment volume will range from 3.6 to 4.1 million euros, the construction period will take 15 to 18 months.

26. FEBRUARY 2008
The online pharmacy Vitalsana which is owned by the Schlecker Group has set up its business. Originally, the online pharmacy planned to go online already on February 11th, but the drugstore discounter has postponed the opening date due to several legal actions. Vitalsane delivers OTC medication at first. Subscription medications will be included on a later date.

21. FEBRUARY 2008
After the drugstore chain Schlecker, also the supermarkt chain Rewe plans to sell pharmaceutical products. According to meia, Rewe asked McKinsey to check out if an entry in the pharmaceutical market is beneficial. Even when the Schlecker group has to postpone its planned entry due to legal questions, the main tasks remains: marketing OTC medications via the Dutch online pharmacy Vitalsana. The decision is planned in March.

21. FEBRUARY 2008
Capio Deutschland has bought all institutioins by the privately owned Vena-Group. The takeover price remains secret. The German cartel office has already given its consent. The takeover includes the Hofgarten clinic in Asc haffenburg, the clinc in the Hilden Park, the Mosel-Eifel clinic in Bad Bertrich, the Schlossklinik Abtsee in the Bavarian village Laufen and the Hanse-Klinik in Lübeck, as well as the Swiss-based Venenklinik Kreuzlingen. In 2006, The turnover of the Vena-Group was 32.7 million euros. The new overall Capio Deutschland Klinik GmbH-turnover , a subsidiary of the Swedih Capio Group will then amount to approx. 84.7 million euros.

21. FEBRUARY 2008
In February 2008, Kursana takes over two more nursing homes in Vaihingen and therefore now has 87 homes in Germany, Austria, Switzerland and Estonia. Kursana offers a wide range of services: temporal care, care for disabled people and care for elderly people suffering from dementia. Kursana plans to establish five to eight new homes with a total number of 600 to 900 beds and plans 90% single rooms with an own bathroom.

12. FEBRUARY 2008
Construction works for the geriatric nursing home in the Bavarian town Schöllkrippen kicked off. This project will be carried out by the construction company Hochtief and stands for a long-term cooperation with the nursing home operator BeneVit. The company sees an enormous growth potential. The cooperation will combine the know-how by the company Hochtief with the expertise of the renowned operator BeneVit.

12. FEBRUARY 2008
The Ulm-based cement manufacturer Schwenk is the new majority owner of the nursing specialist company Paul Hartmann. Accoring to media reports, the Ulmer cement manufacturer Schwenk owns 50 percent of the shares. Schwenk has already been the majority owner of the company Paul Hartmann AG.

24. JANUARY 2008
The electronic company Philips takes over the US-American medical technology manufacturer Respironics for 3.6 billion euros. This takeover has an enormous importance for Philips medical technology departement. Respironics is supposed to become the core part of the healthcare business. Respironics has its headquarters in Murrysville (Pennsylvania) and produces medical equipment for the treatment of chronic respiratory difficulties and insomnia. The company employs approx. 5,300 employees. Around 18 to 29 million people are believed to suffer from respiratory illnesses in the United States alone.

24. JANUARY 2008
The Bosch-Group takes over the majority of the US-software supplier Health Hero Network. The company, based in California, is specialised in telemedicine and sells software for collecting and evaluating patient data. The takeover price is secret. Health Hero Network currently employs 44 employees which will all be taken over by Bosch.

18. JANUARY 2008
The drugstore chain Rossmann plans to open up further 120 drugstores in Germany and is about to invest 50 million euros in order to achieve this goal. Rossmann has 1260 stores in Germany and therefore is the third largest chain behind Schlecker and dm. According to press releases, the Rossmanns turnover has risen by 14 percent to 3.2 billion euros in 2007. Rossmann has taken over a majority share of its Northern-German competitor Kloppenburg last December.

18. JANUARY 2008
Fresenius Kabi which belongs to the health company Fresenius, takes over the Italian company Ribbon. The antibiotics manufacturer is one of the leading European producers of the antibiotics cephalosporine and penicilline and owns two modern production plants in Northern Italy. According to Fresenius, thie takeover is another step in the growth strategy of generic drugs and significally strenghtens Fresenius Kabis position in the market. Ribbon employs 130 employees and expects a turnover of 54 million euros for the fical year 2007.

07. JANUARY 2008
The investment company Audley Capital has invested in the CURANUM AG. Funds by Audley Capital Advisors LLP have invested 10.1 percent in nursing home operators. According to the chairman of Audley Capital, Michael Treichl, the consolidation trend in the nursing sector is increasing and Curanum can take over a substantial role in this process.

07. JANUARY 2008
The American investor Advent International sells its majority share of Casa Reha, a nursing home operator to the European private equity investor HgCapital. In autumn 2005, Advent International has started to invest in Casa Reha. Now, this transaction only has to be approved by the antitrust authorities. Both Advent International, as well as the Casa Reha management will continue to hold a stake in the company. Casa Reha runs 47 geriatric nursing homes and belongs to the largest private institutions for in-patient nursing care in Germany.

03. JANUARY 2008
Munich Re takes over the US-American health insurer Sterling Life Insurance. According to a press release, the Munich Re subsidiary Munich-American Holding Corp is paying approx. 245 million euros to the worlds second-largest insurance broker Aon. The takeover should take place in the first quarter of 2008 and should be finaced by Munich Res own funds. With this transaction, the Munich-based re-insurer who is also listed on the German stock exchange, expects to enter the fast-growing nursing sector in the United States more easily.

03. JANUARY 2008
According to press releases, Unicare, the Irish pharmacy chain of the Stuttgart-based pharmaceutical company Celesio, has taken over eleven pharmacies of its competitor McSweeney übernommen. Unicare extends its network to 72 subsidiaries and extends its position as market leader. McSweeney belongs to the Dutch Spanhoff group and is left with only 20 pharmacies in Ireland. The Celesio subsidiary has presumably paid 30 million euros for the eleven pharmacies which equals a value of 2.7 million per pharmacy.

17. DECEMBER 2007
The Munich based fund initiator ILG is now also focusing on the nursing home market. The overall investment for fund number 32 which is about to launch in the first quarter of 2008, sums up to approximately 10 million euros. The fund invests in a nursing home in Upper Bavaria. The tenant is an experienced private nursing home operator. The tenancy agreement has been concluded for 20 years. The profit distribution will start with a minimum of 6% and will take place on a monthly basis.

17. DECEMBER 2007
The Füssen-based nursing home operator Phönix is continuing to strengthen its position in Southern Germany. Currently, Phönix plans constructions for a new nursing home for 125 in-patient in Heidenheim which will be operated by the Geritas GmbH. 101 single and 12 double rooms are planned. Only a few weeks ago the French nursing home chain Korian gained a majority of the Phönix-Group. The overall number of beds should increase from 3,000 to 8,500 within the next five years, wheras nursing homes providing 1,200 beds are already under construction.

17. DECEMBER 2007
The Federal Statistical Office recently revealed that every ninth employee in Germany is working in the health sector. This equals a rise of 0.8 percent compared to the previous year; therefore, 4.3 million people were employed in the health sector by the end of last year. The 34,000 new jobs included 22,000 additional vacancies for doctors and nurses. Professions in the elderly nurse care have risen by 11,000. And even hospital staff has grown by 1,000 jobs after a decline last year.

07. DECEMBER 2007
The Munich-based nursing home operator CURANUM AG takes over the ELISA Seniorenstift GmbH and its six nursing institutions from the Munich-based Doblinger Unternehmensgruppe on January 1st 2008. These six nursing institutions contain 435 places in nursing homes and 755 places in assisted living homes and generate a turnover of 34.2 million euros per year. The overall purchase price is 20.6 million euros. Due to the ideal location of these six nursing institutions, it will be easy to integrate them into the present CURANUM AG cluster system and will therefore produce synergy effects by bundling secondary services.

07. DECEMBER 2007
According to DocMorris chairman Ralf Däinghaus, the target mark of 100 franchise partners will be reached this year. The internet pharmacy which belongs to the Celecio-Group has received applications of more than 1,000 pharmacies. DocMorris expects a turnover increase of at least 22 percent. The Dutch company has 65 partner pharmacies in Germany and opens up its first own pharmacy in Saxony-Anhalt. By taking over DocMorris in April 2007, Celesio displeased German pharmacists. So far, Celesio is not allowed to own a large number of DocMorris pharmacies, as Germany only allows pharmacy chains with 4 subsidiaries at most. Therefore, DocMorris works with self-employed licensees.

07. DECEMBER 2007
Fresenius gains the majority of the Städtische Krankenhäuser Krefeld (Municipal Hospitals Krefeld). The HELIOS Kliniken Group which belongs to the health service group Fresenius has improved its market position in Germany by acquiring the majority share (74.9%) of the Städtische Krankenhäuser Krefeld. These two municipal hospitals generate a turnover worth 175 million euros per year.

06. DECEMBER 2007
The dialysis specialist Fresenius Medical Care takes over the US-American Renal Solutions Inc. The presumed purchasing price is 190 million US-dollars. With this takeover, Fresenius Medical Care gains a substantial technology for home-based hemo-dialysis. This technology is seen as a basis for the development of a portable artificial kidney.

06. DECEMBER 2007
The US financial investor TPG takes over Canadian pharmaceutical specialist Axcan Pharma for 1.3 billion US-dollars. This deal is set to take place during the first quarter in 2008. Axcan Pharma is focused on gastrointestinal illnesses and increased its profits by more than 80 percent up to 71.5 million dollars in the fiscal year 2006/2007. The turnover grew by 20 percent up to 348 million US-dollars.

06. DECEMBER 2007 2007
Asklepios Kliniken has taken over the Hamburg-based CardioCliniC Krankenhausgesellschaft mbH on December 1st 2007. The CardioCliniC performs heart operations for adults and treats between 600 and 700 patients from all over Germany each year. This well-renowned clinic has been operated on a private basis since its foundation in 1990.

06. DECEMBER 2007
The British retail market co-operative "The Co-operative Group" (Co-op) has taken over 51 pharmacies of the PCT Healthcare chain. Co-op and its meanwhile 780 pharmacies are now the third biggest pharmaceutical operator in Britain after Alliance Boots and Lloyspharmacy, a Celesio subsidiary company. Co-op runs 4,500 retail markets, including travel agencies, shoe shops, household supply stores, interior decoration stores, real estate offices and many more. The group employs approx. 88,000 employees.

27. NOVEMBER 2007
The Appian Group, the US-shareholder of the Czech engineering group Skoda, has bought the privately owned Medicon-Holding via Prague Real Estates. Approximately ten companies an 700 employees belong to Medicon, many of those are pharmacies and clinics in the Czech Republic, such as Centromed and DTC Praha. The transaction volume was worth more than 1 billion CZK. The cartel office had no objections.

27. NOVEMBER 2007
The US-Biotech-company Celgene plans to take over the Amercan specialist for blood cancer treatment, Pharmion for 2.9 billion dollars. Celgene offers Pharmion shareholders 72 dollars per share. The acquisition of Pharmion would be a further step towards becoming a global player for blood cancer treatment. The transaction is due for the second quarter of 2008. The cartel office has to give its consent.

27. NOVEMBER 2007
The private equity company Cinven has recently taken over the 25 clinics by the health insurance BUPA in Great Brtiain for 2.07 billion euros.

20. NOVEMBER 2007
The nursing home operator KerVita plans to expand together with the association Volkssolidarität. After a test run, these two private operator and the welfare association plan a unique "social-private-partnership-model" and will invest in 10 nursing homes within two years. The first nursing home will open up in Bad Doberan this November, in Bergen on the island of Ruegen, construction works have set off. Further projects for the locations Rostock and Lüneburg are in negotiation.

20. NOVEMBER 2007
The drugstore chain dm sets off the second stage of its new strategy. Since December 2006, customers were able to order and buy medication in eight subsidiaries. Meanwhile this strategy was expanded to 83 subsidiaries in Northrhine-Westphalia. Customers can hand in their prescriptions at order terminals and 72 hours later they are ready to be picked up. The partner is the online pharmacy Europa Apotheek Venlo. dm plans to implement this service in 300 subsidiaries in Northrhine-Westphalia and then in 900 subsidiaries on a national basis.

09. NOVEMBER 2007
Siemens takes over the main share of Mochida in Japan and opens up Kamda Healthinformatics Institute, a company for hospital-IT.

09. NOVEMBER 2007
Microsoft further expands its department for medical software and services and acquires the Thailand-based software manufacturer Global Care Solutions. This company produces management-systeme for hospitals and is has been already been on the international market for some time. Microsoft plans to distribute the software "Hospital 2000" via its global network. The software by Global Care Solutions stores medical data, organises billing procedures in different languages and adminstrates personnel management.

30. OCTOBER 2007
The Swedish real estate company Kungsleden AB has signed a cooperation treaty with Merkur Development and plans to build five nursing homes in Germany. The total investment is worth 57 million euros, including transaction costs. The nursing homes are run by the AWO, one of the largest public operators with about 700 nursing homes in Germany. The rental agreements have a duration of 25 years and will generate approx. 4 million euros. Kungsleden plans a comlete takeover in January 2009.

30. OCTOBER 2007
The pharmaceutical company Celesio plans to take over the main share of the Russian pharmaceutical company OAO Protek. OAO Protek has a market share of 24 and is the leading distributor within the Russian pharmaceutical market. OAO Protek also owns the second-largest Russian pharmacy chain with 634 subsidiaries (in 2006.

17. OCTOBER 2007
The US-investor Guy Wyser-Pratte enters the German nursery home market and takes a 5 percent share of Curanum, one of the major five providers of nursery homes and senior residents in Germany. In order to achieve a better efficiency, the American investor plans to merge Curanum AG with other nursing home providers. Several firms have already shown interest. As far as consolidation is concerned, the German nursery market limps behind its international competition, according to Wyser-Pratte.

17. OCTOBER 2007
The Mannheim-based pharmaceutical company Phoenix has taken over the largest part of the second biggest Swiss wholesaler Amedis-UE. Since the year 2000, Phoenix has had a 49 percent share with Amedis. Amedis Holding AG was owned by approx. 620 pharmacies and two investors.

11. OCTOBER 2007
The pharmaceutical company Merck KGaA plans to boost its growth with acquisitions in the following years. Especially OTC drugs and Life Sciences are the target acquisitions until 2010. The takeovers are bound to enhance the market power of the enterprise, to increase the surplus and to enhance Mercks annual growth to 10 billion euros until 2010.

11. OCTOBER 2007
According to the fifth prevention report, an increasing number of people uses the preventive medical checkups offered by their health insurances. Nearly 3.5 million people have gone to these checkups in Germany in 2005, an increase of 12 percent. From 2000 until 2005, the total expenditure for prevention measures rose from 43 million to nearly 180 million euros. 1.2 million people have taken part in preventive courses.

11. OCTOBER 2007
With the help of subsidies by the European Social Fund (ESF), the number of multi-generation accommodations will be raised to 500 instead of the initially planned 439, the subsidies therefore increase to 100 million euros. At the moment, 455 multi-generation accommodations receive public funds.

28. SEPTEMBER 2007
The Hamburg based biological engineering company Evotec plans to take over the bio-pharmaceutical company Renovis which is located in San Francisco. According to Evotec, this transaction is worth 109.5 million euros. The aim of this merger is to expand the agent research and development portfolio. Furthermore, the company seeks a flotation on the Nasdaq.

28. SEPTEMBER 2007
Quality Information about nursing homes should become more transparent. A report by the "Medizinischer Dienst der Krankenkassen, MDK (medical service by the health insurances) recently revealed that many nursery homes in Germany show serious grievances. Immediately after this report has been published, politicians were anxious to introduce a Supervisory Association for nursing homes. According to the German health minister, Ms Ulla Schmidt (SPD), these reports have to be easily understandable and published as quality resports. Schmidt hopes to enhance competition and therefore improve the quality of nursing. Health and nursing insurances support this plan.

21. SEPTEMBER 2007
As far as the transaction volume is concerned, the consolidation of the global pharmaceutical and healthcare industry has accelerated. The overall mergers and acquisitions volume reached 140 billion US dollars in the pharmaceutical, medical engineering and healthcare sector within the first six months in 2007. This will even top the volume achieved in 2006, according to the analysis "Pharmaceutical Sector M&A Insights 2006/2007" by PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC).

21. SEPTEMBER 2007
The German medical engineering market expects a significant turnover gain and additional jobs. The new chairman of the industrial accociation Spectaris, Josef May, expects a growth by nine percent up to 47.3 billion euros within this year. He also favours a further transition to a more flexible healthcare system in Germany.

10. SEPTEMBER 2007
The drugstore chain dm plans to sell drugs as well. The second-largest drugstore chain in Germany will start to deliver prescription drugs to 80 subsidiaries in Northrhine-Westphalia. This service is a joint venture between dm and a Dutch online pharmacy in Venlo. As a test run in eight subsidiaries in the Rhineland proved successful, this service is now expanded on a nationwide basis.

10. SEPTEMBER 2007
The overall expenditure of compulsory health insurances (CHI) for drugs will increase by 2.2 billion euros or 7.9 per cent in 2008. The overall expenditure will therefore reach approx. 28.9 billion euros without and 30.5 million euros with vaccines. The connection between additional costs and improved therapies reflects in increasing drug expenditure, as the medical progress continues to advance and also enables the population to grow older, according to the chairman of the Verband Forschender Arzneimittelhersteller, VFA (Association of Researching Drugmakers).

10. SEPTEMBER 2007
The Stuttgart-based pharmaceutical wholesaler GEHE issues standard store cards for the customers of its "Commitment-Apotheken" (pharmacies). Together with the Bertelsmann-subsidiary Arvato, GEHE plans to introduce the so-called DeutschlandCard all over Germany in the first quarter of next year. In order to catch up with the popular store cards by their competitors Phoenix-Partner MVDA (Payback) or Parmapharm (HappyDigits), GEHE plans to distribute the card on a nationwide basis from the scratch. The largest partners within this programme will be Edeka with its 3.500 and Deutsche Bank with its 1.300 subsidiaries.

24. AUGUST 2007
ProPharm, a co-operation of pharmacies, now has more than 70 affiliates. ProPharm AG, located in Aitrach, has been founded two years ago and welcomed its 72nd member on July 9th 2007. It has surpassed the famous franchise group DocMorris with its 20 affiliates. There does not seem to be an end to expanding co-operations of pharmacies. Convincing and versatile business concepts are the main advantages over its competitors. ProPharm seeks to win further affiliates and offer a network all over the country.

22. AUGUST 2007
The service provider Zehnacker, one of the leading companies in facility management, plans to operate hospitals. According to the Nikolai Burkart, Managing Partner, Zehnacker would like to take over emergency hospitals. Large service providers such as Dussmann and others, have already taken over managerial tasks in hospitals, but so far there was no service provider who runs the entire range of managerial tasks.

22. AUGUST 2007
The US-American conglomerate General Electric (GE) wants to win market shares with its medical engineering division in Germany. So far, Siemens and its Dutch competitor Koninklijke Philips Electronics are top of the league. According to the chairman in Germany, even after the failed takeover of the medical engineering group Abbott Laboratories, GE still sticks to its strategy in the Health Care division.

14. AUGUST 2007
The Koblenz-based software manufacturer Compugroup who also equips doctors surgeries, plans to take over its British competitor iSoft and enter the clinical software market. Compugroup which has no prior experience on the stock exchange, placed a bid worth approx. 400 million euros. This would turn Compugroup into the third biggest software provider behind SAP and Software AG in Germany.

14. AUGUST 2007
Siemens enlarges its medical engineering division and becomes the biggest producer of clinical diagnostics world-wide. Siemens plans to buy the American company Dade Behring which offers diagnostic products and services for laboratories. Last year, Siemens has already taken over the diagnostic division of its competitors Bayer and the US-American firm Diagnostic Products.

14. AUGUST 2007
The European investor Cinven takes over the Spanish health care provider USP Hospitales for 678 million euros.

14. AUGUST 2007
The Sanicare-Versandapotheke, based in Bad Laer in Lower Saxony is constantly growing. Compared to the former fiscal year, the company increased its turnover by 76 million euros. The turnover generated with its online pharmacies grew from 80 to 125 million euros within 12 months. The overall staff and the amount of daily dispatches also increased.

31. JULY 2007
German citizens have spent more on prescription drugs again last year. According to the latest guideline of the "Verband Forschender Arzneimittelhersteller"(the association of researching drug manufacturers), pharmacies made 563 million euros more than in 2005. The extra costs mainly stem from a rising consumption. Also a "restructuring in terms of more expensive drugs" has taken place. Though prices for drugs have generally fallen, doctors tend to prescribe more drugs or opt for the more expensive product. Prices are expected to rise further next year.

25. JULY 2007
Nowadays, approximately one million more patients have to be treated in German hospitals than in 1995; the workload for each nurse has increased by 23 percent. At the same time, the individual need for care has risen as well, according to the "Deutsches Institut für angewandte Pflegeforschung e.V.", short "dip" (German institute for applied nursing care) in Cologne.

25. JULY 2007
According to a newspaper report, the German drugstore chain Schlecker will probably enter the German pharmacy market. Due to the liberalisation of the German pharmacy market, Schlecker may use a discount concept to enter the market for drugs which are only available on prescription.

05. JULY 2007
German medical products can be found on second place world-wide. According to a report of the branch associations BVMed and Spectaris, medical technology is a dynamic and highly innovative branch. As far as new patents and its share on the world market are concerned, Germany is on second place behind the United States. The German medical engineering firms make approximately one third of their profit with products that are no older than three years. The researching medical engineering firms invest an average nine percent of their turnover in R&D. The core branch employs a total of nearly 165,000 people in 11,000 companies in Germany. In 2006, the total turnover of all producing medical engineering firms increased by 8.1 percent to a total of 15.9 billion euros.

05. JULY 2007
According to a study by the consultancy Roland Berger, an increasing number of German citizens spends money on healthcare. Adults spend an additional sum of 900 euros per year on top of their healthcare contributions. The so-called second healthcare market which covers all privately funded health services and -products (medical check-ups, alternative medicine, wellness, sports and health-food), now reaches a volume of 60 billion euros per year. The private healthcare costs have therefore risen by 6 percent each year since 2000.

05. JULY 2007
The Marseille-Kliniken AG was able to conclude a third comprehensive sale-and-lease-back business with the real estate investor Grosvenor House Group plc, Great Britain. Marseille-Kliniken AG will therefore sell six of its properties, three nursing homes and three rehabilitation clinics with a total of 1,304 beds to the investor and lease them back on a long-term basis. This transaction worth 95.5 million euros gives the company a further financial scope in order to realise its growth strategy in its core nursing segment.

26. JUNE 2007
The pharmaceutical company Roche plans to take over the US-corporation Ventana for approx. 3 billion euros. The transaction was agreed on a mutual basis. With the Ventana takeover Roche plans to become the market leader in the growing segment of tissue-based diagnostics for in-vitro- and cancer treatments.

22. JUNE 2007
According to a study by PriceWaterhouseCoopers (PWC), the Asian pharmaceutical market is becoming stronger. Every third Asian pharmaceutical company that was questioned in this study plans to expand by taking over other companies. Nearly 20 percent also plan to buy international competitors. So far, only every second Asian pharmaceutical company has entered the world market, but three out of four companies state that they plan to increase their share in the global pharmaceutical market.

15. JUNE 2007
The total turnover of the pharmaceutical industry will double up to nearly 1.3 trillion US dollars until the year 2020, according to PriceWaterhouseCoopers (PWC) and their study "Pharma 2020: The Vision - Which Path will you take?". Especially the demographic change and the economic growth are the reasons for this success. But these opportunities for growths go hand in hand with significant challenges. "The pharmaceutical industry has to adjust more to the needs and demands its patients. Instead of marketing a few blockbusters around the world, the pharmaceutical companies should rather offer a more differentiated choice for all different illnesses" , according to Volker Booten, partner for Chemicals & Pharmaceuticals at PWC in Germany.

14. JUNE 2007
According to Chairman Ramprasad Reddy, the pharmaceutical company Aurobindo Pharma from India is looking for acquisitions worth 100 million dollars in Europe. This measure is intended to gain the compnany ground in the European market. Aurobiondo seeks to double its turnover of currently 500 million dollars to 1 billion dollars.

14. JUNE 2007
The Italian pharmaceutical company Rottapharm plans to take over Cologne-based Madaus group, according to the majority owner, Droege International Group AG. Madaus Pharma develops and markets natural remedies and generates a turnover of more than 250 million euros. Rottapharm also takes over all Madaus trademarks. After selling their pharmaceutical branch, Droege and Madaus family members will focus on the Servox AG, the allergic sector and real property in Spain. The entire Madaus group generated a turnover of nearly 350 million euros in 2006.

14. JUNE 2007
According to the newspaper "South China Morning Post" Legend Holdings, the umbrella company of the Chinese pharmaceutical giant Lenovo, wants to take over China Pharmaceutical. In any case, Legend Holdings seeks to obtain the controlling majority of the pharmaceutical group, listed in Hongkong.

13. JUNE 2007
Kursana Residenzen plans to build seven new nursing homes in 2007. Kursana is a business division of the Dussmann group, one of the biggest European service providers for commercial cleaning, catering, security firms and facility management. At the moment, Kursana runs 85 nursing homes in Germany, Austria, Switzerland and Estonia.

10. JUNE 2007
According to a report, the Berlin-based private equity company Vatas is the new principal stockholder of the nursery home operator Curanum, located in Munich. Recently Vatas gained a ten-percent share of a company, listed on the SDAX, according to the newspaper "Euro am Sonntag" which refers to company information. "The shares were placed within the capital increase". Vatas paid approximately 22 million euros for its share. Curanum plans to invest a part of this money for further takeovers. According to the chairman Bernd Rothe, Curanum plans to take over "seven or eight institutions" until the end of the year.

5. JUNE 2007
The German pharmaceutical industry is facing drastic cutbacks in its field services. This was reported in the "Süddeutsche Zeitung" which refers to the consultancy Booz Allen Hamilton and their survey of 150 board members and line managers in the pharmaceutical industry. "It is expected that a third of all jobs in the pharmaceutical field industry will cut", says Booz Hamilton pharmaceutical expert, Rolf Fricker. At the moment, pharmaceutical companies employ up to 22,000 specialised temporary staff members. In order to cut costs, these numbers will most likely drop back to 14,000.

31. MAY 2007
According to the magazine "Technology Review", a new wave of mergers and acquisitions is expected in the pharmaceutical industry. The mergers within the pharmaceutical- and biological engineering division per year have increased from 289 to 749 within the last ten years. "More mergers and acquisitions are on the way" says Olaf Tölke, a pharmaceutical analyst at the rating agency Standard & Poor's. Compared to the automobile industry, the pharmaceutical industry has not reached its full potential yet. Pfizer, the market leader only achieves 6.5 per cent of the total market share.

22. MAY 2007
Accoring to a newspaper report, the pharmaceutical company Hexal Pharma in Radebeul (Saxony) has been taken over by Jossa Arznei GmbH in Munich. This will lead to a demerger from the Swiss company Novartis / Sandoz. Novartis has only bought the company which produces treatments for cancer, inflammations and cardiovascular diseases and employs 225 people two years ago.

21. MAY 2007
The Swiss stock exchange is becoming increasingly popular for pharmaceutical- and biological engineering companies. Since the beginning of 2006 many biological engineering- and pharmaceutical companies have listed their shares on the Swiss stock exchange. Meanwhile Zurich has become Europe's biggest marketplace for pharmaceutical research. The largest flotations for pharmaceutical shares in Europe have been conducted in Zurich during the last years. In 2004, the Roche spin-off Basilea increased its capital by 200 million Swiss Francs and in 2005 Arpida, a research company for antibiotics capitalised 100 million Swiss Francs. Last year, the Italian company Newron reached 120 million Swiss Francs at the Swiss stock exchange.

10. MAY 2007
A survey conducted amongst 1,000 German citizens showed that 78% presume the German health care reform will have to be amended by 2009. According to this survey by TNS Emnid for the "Verband Forschender Arzneimittelhersteller" (VFA)," the German population does not expect any advantages from the health reform".

4. MAY 2007
The Austrian Post takes over 74.9 percent of the company Scherübl, the market leader of temperature-sensible pharmaceutical haulage. Scherübl has a market share of more than fifty percent in Austria and generates a turnover of 3.5 million euros. Nearly all renowned pharmaceutical companies are customers of Scherübl.

2. MAY 2007
Bosch wants to take over a Fresenius subsidiary. Bosch-Group plans to take over Pharmatec GmbH, located in Dresden, from Fresenius ProServe GmbH. This transaction also includes the Pharmatec subsidiary Schoeller-Bleckmann Medizintechnik Ges.m.b.H in Ternitz, Austria. Pharmatec main field of activity is pharmaceutical plant engineering, especially the hygienic and sterile process techniques for pharmaceutical and biological engineering. There was no statement about the price paid. However, this transaction has to be approved by the antitrust authorities.

26. APRIL 2007
Celesio AG takes over the mail-order pharmacy DocMorris. Celesio receives 90 percent of the DocMorris shares, the remaining 10 percent remain with the management of the mail-order pharmacy. "With this step, Celesio secures the only pharmaceutical brand which is known all over Germany" says Fritz Oesterle, Celesio CEO. "With this step, we give send out a strong signal against discount pharmacies and non-pharmaceutical parties in Germany and other countries. At the same time, we are working on a basis to improve the position for the customers of our subsidiary GEHE."

24. APRIL 2007
Approximately 239.4 billion euros or 10.7 percent of GDP were spent for healthcare in Germany in 2005 - this equals 2,900 euros per German citizen - whereas more than fifty percent were covered by health insurances. Especially the expenses for medications have strongly risen. Compared to 2004, the expenses have risen by 2.4 percent, according to the Federal Statistical Office in Wiesbaden. While doctors bills increased by only 0.5 percent, the expenses for medications grew by 10 percent.

24. APRIL 2007
The German biological engineering industry is growing steadily. Experts from Ernst & Young presume that the turnover will rise to 1 billion euros this year. Last year, German biological engineering firms achieved a turnover of 945 billion euros, according to Siegfried Bialojan, chairman of the industrial sector Biotech at Ernst & Young. "The German biological engineering industry is back on track".

23. APRIL 2007
The British pharmaceutical group AstraZeneca plc will take over the America Biotech company MedImmune Inc. for 15.2 billion dollars. The overall volume is approx. 15.6 billion dollars which includes liquid cash worth 240 million dollars.

20. APRIL 2007
The drugstore chain Schlecker is on the verge to enter the German pharmaceutical market. The drugstore managers seeks pharmacists via box number advertisements, according to the paper "Handelsblatt". It is presumed that Schlecker plans to apply a discount concept as soon as the German pharmaceutical market is liberalised. Many pharmacists and industry experts expect that German drugstore chains as Schlecker, Rossmann and DM thrust themselves into the OTC-market.

13. APRIL 2007
The biotechnology company Qiagen placed a turnover bid for the US-company e-Gene. Presumably, the purchase price is approx. 25 million euros and the supervisory boards already gave their consent. Only the eGene shareholders and the antitrust authorities still have to approve.

10. APRIL 2007
2006 was a full success for the pharmaceutical industry. The 20 leading companies achieved an amalgamated turnover of 124 billion dollars. The pharmaceutical companies are hardly affected by patent registrations, competitors of generics and political headwinds. However, takeovers affect the return on capital. According to experts, this positive trend will continue in 2007.

5. APRIL 2007
The Roche Holding AG plans to take over the American BioVeris Corp for approx. 600 million dollars. According to a press release of this Swiss company, the acquisition is supposed to increase its leading position in the ECL-immune chemical business.

3. APRIL 2007
CompuGROUP Holding AG plans a prime standard at the Frankfurt stock exchange within the next few months. The company plans to invest capital increase funds for a further expansion. The main shareholder of CompuGroup is the Gotthardt family with 54.6 % of the capital stock and the venture capital company General Atlantic with 36.9%. CompuGroup is the German market leader for information systems for GPs and dentists. Approx. 240,000 GPs and dentists are using the CompuGroup products and services.

2. APRIL 2007
Celesio torpedoes the record bid for Boots. After the investor Kohlberg Kravis Roberts (KKR) published a record bid for the British pharmaceutical company Alliance Boots, a German company also enters the stage. According to the Financial times, Celesio, a pharmaceutical wholesaler and part of the Haniel Group has instructed the investment bank NM Rothschild to check out the interest of financial investors for a mutual counter-bid.

29. MARCH 2007
The generics manufacturer STADA plans to increase the future growth by international takeovers. STADA-chairman Hartmut Retzlaff has made following statement: "Growth and value enhancement remain the main targets for STADA; these aims will be achieved by the groups internal financing within the next years.

28. MARCH 2007
Takeover plans for its US-competitor Bristol-Myers Squibb lead to a major dispute at the Sanofi-Aventis board. The chairman Jean-Francois Dehecq and the CEO Gerard Le Fur have different opinions as far as the strategy is concerned. While Dehecq prefers a transaction with Bristol-Myers Squibb, Le Fur rather wants to focus on internal R&D.

28. MARCH 2007
The HOCHTIEF-subsidiary Turner builds hospitals in the United States and was able to get hold of two new healthcare orders in the United States. The total volume ranges over 108 million euros.

21. MARCH 2007
The global pharmaceutical market grew by seven percent in 2006. Due to a strong increase in the United States, Asia and Latin America, the global pharmaceutical market has risen to 643 billion dollars (483.6 billion euros). However, the increase was slower in Europe.

16. MARCH 2007
According to the "Economic Times", the company STADA in Bad Vilbel has withdrawn from its takeover bid for its competitor Merck KGaA. The same applies for the American company Barr Pharmaceuticals. Merck has supposedly drawn up a short-list with interested parties which should be allowed to obtain further financial information. The same newspaper names the company Ranbaxy, Mylan Laboraties, Teva Pharmaceutical, Actavis and one or two financial investors.

16. MARCH 2007
The company DocCheck Medizinbedarf & Logistik GmbH, Stuttgart, a subsidiary of DocCheck AG has taken over Medilab GmbH on Tuesday. Medilab GmbH should become another sales location for the trade- and logistics activities of DocCheck. DocCheck Medizinbedarf & Logistik GmbH therefore now owns subsidaries in Stuttgart (Southern Germany), Leipzig (Eastern Germany) and Essen (Western Germany) and plans further subsidiaries.

14. MARCH 2007
Organon, the pharmaceutical branch of the Dutch group Akzo Nobel has been sold to the Amercian company Schering-Plough for 11 billion euros. This news has been published on Monday. Now, the expected flotation will not materialize.

13. MARCH 2007
The British pharmaceutical wholesaler and owner of pharmacy chains, Alliance Boots plc, has rebuked the takeover bid by the Private Equity group Kohlberrg Kravis Roberts (KKR). The takeover bid was worth approx. 9.7 billion pounds sterling. KKR has been supported by Stefano Pessina, Executive Deputy Chairman of Alliance Boots. He owns 15 percent of the shares himself.

13. MARCH 2007
The number of medical care centres (Medizinische Versorgungszentren) has further increased in the fourth quarter of 2006. According to a survey of the Association of CHI-physicians (Kassenärztliche Bundesvereinigung), there were already 666 medical care centres in Germany by 31. December 2006. The number has been growing by nearly 20 percent since October 2006. Most of these centres are located in Bavaria, Berlin and Lower Saxony.

5. MARCH 2007
Doctors in Baden-Wuerttemberg can increase their salary by prescribing cheaper medications to their pateients. The health insurance AOK (Allgemeine Ortskrankenkasse) are planning to reward the doctor 30% of the savings, the remaining amount will be kept by the heath insurance.

2. March 2007
Europes biggest pharmaceutical wholesaler Celesio plans to open up an own pharmacy chain. The CEO of Celesio, Dr. Fritz Oesterle said that he is prepared should it become possible for firms to own pharmacies in Germany. When markets open up, there will be a strong competition, says Oesterle: "I presume that there will be an enormous number of new pharmacies."

16. FEBRUARY 2007
On April 1st, a free TV channel called Deutsches Gesundheitsfernsehen (DGF) will be launched in Germany. According to its founder, Gerd Berger, it will only deal with health matters such as wellness, drugs and nutrition. This channel also plans to set up a weekly health-talk from Berlin. Interview partners will include people from politics, associations and the health care. The programme will be available free of charge and broadcasted via Astra. Additionally, an online portal is to be established, too.

12. FEBRUARY 2007
The Rhön Klinikum AG is interested in taking over the Uniklinikum Mainz (University Clinic Mainz). A spokesman says that Rhön is bascically very interested, but it also depends on the conditions.

8. FEBRUARY 2007
The British supermarket chain Tesco has been offering a private health insurance to its customers since mid January. The insurance policies are supposed to be one third cheaper that policies from competitors. However, the insurance can only be concluded by internet or telephone. The partner company is the health insurer AXA PPP Healthcare.

8. FEBRUARY 2007
The British billionaire, Sir Richard Branson is planning to open up a GP-chain. This information stirred up many doctors. First GP-offices are about to open up within the next twelve months and are supposed to be called "Virgin Medical Centre". However, the chain will only treat privately insured patients or self-pay patients.

5. FEBRUARY 2007
Two Japanese pharmaceutical companies, Tanabe Seiyaku Co. Ltd and Mitsubishi Pharma Corp., a subsidiary of the Mitsubishi Chemical Holdings Corporation, are going to merge. After the merger, scheduled for October 1st 2007, the company will be the fifth biggest Japanese pharmaceutical company and will be named Mitsubishi Tanabe Pharma Corporation. The majority of shares will be held by Mitsubishi Chemical.

1. FEBRUARY 2007
The Bundesvereinigung Deutscher Apothekerverbände (ABDA) published that the expenses of public health insurances have risen by 1.3 percent last year up to 23.7 billion euros. When considering the inflation rate of 1.8 percent, the costs remained stable after all. ABDA states that this development was achieved with the help of the medicine package which has come into force in April 2006.

30. JANUARY 2007
The pharmaceutical companies Sanofi-Aventis and Bristol-Myers Squibb possibly plan to merge. If this merger comes into effect, the new group would become the biggest pharmaceutical company in the world, even overtaking Pfizer. Bristol-Myers Squibb has a share value worth 51.1 billion US dollars, Sanofi-Aventis has a share value worth approximately 95 billion euros.

30. JANUARY 2007
A McKinsey study including 1,600 hospitals in Germany, revealed that most hospitals are better than their reputation. But there is still an enormous savings potential of about 5 billion euros.

24. JANUARY 2007
The world biggest pharmaceutical company, Pfizer, plans to sell its subsidiary Heumann PCS in Nuremberg-Feucht. According to the works council, the staff does not have to fear for their jobs, as the Heumann is highy profitable.

19. JANUARY 2007
The US-conglomerate General Electric (GE) wants to buy the Abbott Laboratories diagnostic branch for 8.13 billion US dollars. The Abbott group offers, amongst others, products for blood tests. With the takeover, General Electric could expand the diagnostic branch of its GE Healthcare business which produces a turnover of 16 billion US dollars. In 2006, Abbott Diagnostics produced a turnover of 2.98 billion US dollars within the first nine months and gained a profit of 306 million dollars.

19. JANUARY 2007
Amazon considers to enter the German-wide online business with medications. Ralf Kleber, managing director of Amazon declares: "Basically, all product categories which customers are willing to purchase online, are interesting for us. This also applies for over-the-counter drugs (OTCs)."

17. JANUARY 2007
Genesis Health Care, a US-provider for nursing services will be taken over by finance investors.  The purchasing price is 63 dollars per share according to the corporation. The investors Formation Capital, LLC and JER partners are paying 1.7 billion dollars. This also covers all Genesis debts.

16. JANUARY 2007
According to the German magazine Handelsblatt, three investment companies are interested to buy the pharmaceutical branch of Akzo Nobel, a Dutch chemical and pharmaceutical corporation. A consortium of Carlyle and Cinven is planning to place a bid for the Organon Biosciences branch. Also Kohlberg Kravis Roberts, Warburg Pincus and CVS Capital Partners as well as Blackstone, Bain Capital, Alpinvest, Apax and Texas Pacific are reported to have placed takeover bids.

12. JANUARY 2007
The Texas Pacific Group is verifying its offer for Mercks generics business line. Merck has recently declared to contemplate selling its generics business line "as a strategic option". The possible purchasing price could be more than 4 billion dollars according to financial circles. Also the Indian pharmaceutical company Ranbaxy has shown interest to take over the branch from Merck at the beginning of the week.

12. JANUARY 2007
Kodak sells its Health Care branch for 2.35 billion US dollars to the Onex Group. This branch which generated 2.54 billion dollars within the last fiscal years makes up approx. one fifth of the overall Kodak turnover. Kodak is struggling with restructuring measures which so far have not brought the company out of the red.

12. JANUARY 2007
Gerresheimer takes over Wilden AG, the European market leader for plastic pharmaceutical drug delivery systems. This takeover adds four business areas for the Gerresheimer Group; Tubular Glass, Moulded Glass, Life Science Research and Plastic Systems. The turnover will rise to over 900 million euros.

9. JANUARY 2007
Ranbaxy wants to take over the Merck generics department, as Merck would like to withdraw from that field of business. Ranbaxy could be able to finance this cooperation with the help of investment companies. According the Ranbaxy chairman Malvinder Singh, the Merck branch would strategically match very well with Ranbaxy.

8. JANUARY 2007
The Dutch online pharmacy DocMorris has started a new approach to enter the German market in St. Wendel, Saarland on Monday. It opened a pharmacy which sells medication for a much more favourable price than usual. Officially, the restructured pharmacy is owned by its present owner, a German pharmacist who will pay royalties to Doc Morris for selling its pills. According to the Doc Morris chairman, Ralf Däinghaus, 500 Doc Morris pharmacies of this kind will be established within the next three to five years.

4. JANUARY 2007
Merck plans to withdraw from the generics market. The company situated in Darmstadt, Germany, plans to concentrate on the innovation of original drugs. Merck has lately been earning 1.8 billion euros with generics.

29. DECEMBER 2006
Medical engineering shows a substantial growth in Greece. This area of business has been growing by approx. 12.7 percent annually since 1997.

21. DECEMBER 2006
The Sanacorp Pharmahandel AG plans to merge with its French partner, the Coopérative d'Exploitation et de Repartition Pharmaceutiques (CERP) Rouen. This would result in the biggest European company owned by pharmacists. Both companies had a wholesale turnover of approx. 5.3 billion euros. More than 12,000 pharmacies in France and Germany and its 5,000 employees would become affiliated.

19. DECEMBER 2006
The company Express Scripts has made a takeover bid worth 26 billion US dollars for its bigger competitor, the American pharmaceutical service company Caremark. A merger would result in a leading "Pharmacy Benefit Manager".

19. DECEMBER 2006
Biomet is taken over by a Private Equity Group. This means that the biggest European medical engineering manufacturer Smith & Nephew (S&N) did not win the bid. The Private Equity Group which is formed by Blackstone, Goldman Sachs Capital Partners, TPG and Kohlberg Kravis Roberts & Co will pay approx. 11 billion euros for the takeover.

19. DECEMBER 2006
Fresenius sells its subsidiary Pharmaplan GmbH to the Danish pharmaceutical company Novo Nordisk. Pharmaplan is specialised on consulting, construction, qualification and validation of pharmaceutical business around the world.

14. DECEMBER 2006
Nestlé takes over the Medical Nutrition Division of Novartis for approx. 2.5 billion US dollars. The Nestlé CEO Peter Brabeck-Letmathe said about the takeover: "This is an important step for the Nestlé Group during its transformation into a company that focuses on nutrition, health and well-being."

29. NOVEMBER 2006
The special pharmaceutical manufacturer Heidelberg Pharma will most likely go public in 2007. The initial public offering depends on the success of a newly invented substance. Dietmar Hopp, a co-founder of SAP holds 85% of the Heidelberg Pharma shares.

22. NOVEMBER 2006
An international investment group by the former executive of the cosmetics company Estée Lauder, Fred Langhammer, plans to open up a high-class international out-patient health centre at Berlin-Tempelhof airport. Though this centre addresses people who are insured with a compulsory health insurance, the investors reckon that many international patients will come, too.

20. NOVEMBER 2006
The Swiss biological engineering company Actelion takes over the Californian pharmaceutical company Co Therix. The purchasing price is 420 million US dollars. Actelion offers 13.50 dollars per Co Therix share.

17. NOVEMBER 2006
Johnson & Johnson intends to buy Conor Medsystems for approx. 1.4 billion US dollars. Conor Medystems is a manufacturer of medical equipment, e.G. for medical stents. Conor Medsystems generated a turnover of 2.3 billion US dollars in 2005 and employs about 200 people.

10. NOVEMBER 2006
3M sells its international pharmaceutical business are for 2.1 billion US dollars. Graceway Pharmaceuticals Inc. takes over the 3M pharmaceutical branches in the United States, Canada and Latin America for 875 million US dollars.
The Swedish company Meda AB will take over the 3M pharmaceutical branches in Europe for 857 US dollars. Ironbridge Capital and Archer Capital will buy the 3M pharmaceutical branches in Asia-Pacific, Australia and South Africa for 349 million US dollars.

9. NOVEMBER 2006
The mobile phone supplier Balda will enforce its focus on medical engineering in future. According to its CEO, Joachim Gut, medical engineering should become an increasing supporting pillar.

2. NOVEMBER 2006
The second biggest US pharmaceutical company CVS takes over the American pharmaceutical service Caremark Rx for 16.5 billion euros. This transaction is carried out due to an exchange of stock and is regarded as a merger balance.

30. OCTOBER 2006
The US medical diagnostics company Genaco Biomedical is taken over by the biological engineering company Qiagen for 22 million dollars. The acquisition is supposed to contribute to an increase in sales by 3 million US dollars.

26. OCTOBER 2006
Via its subsidiary company Asklepios International, the Asklepios Kliniken GmbH takes a stake in the Greek hospital chain AMC S.A. - Athens Medical Center.

17. OCTOBER 2006
The US pharmaceutical company Eli Lilly & Co. takes over the biotechnology company ICOS Corporation for 2.1 billion US dollars. By buying this biotechnology company, Lilly becomes the sole holder for the agent Tadalafil which is used for treating erectional dysfunctions.

 13. OCTOBER 2006
TietoEnator takes over Cymed AG, an IT solution contractor for the health market for 5.1 million euros. TietoEnator offers IT services and software solutions for banks and insurance companies, telecommunications and media and other services. The takeover is part of the growth strategy of this company in the health market.

 6. OCTOBER 2006
The Swedish hospital operating company Capio accepts a significantly improved takeover bid by the finance companies Apax Partners and Nordic Capital. Both investors increased their bid to 17.7 euros per share. This corresponds to a corporate assessment of 1.82 billion euros.

 4. OCTOBER 2006
The
US pharmaceutical company Gilhead wants to take over its competitor Myogen for 2.5 billion US dollars. Gilead is prepared to pay 52.50 US dollars for each Myogen share. This corresponds to a nearly 50-percent spread compared to the final market price the day before the offer was made public.

 2. OCTOBER 2006
The Danish hearing aid manufacturer Re-Sound is taken over by its Swiss competitor Phonak for 2.8 billion euros.

 25. SEPTEMBER 2006
Schwarz Pharma AG, located in Monheim, Germany is taken over by the Belgian pharmaceutical company UCB for 4.4 billion euros. According to statements, the company expects a potential synergies worth more than 300 million euros. The total annual balance is expected to reach 3.3 billion euros.

 22. SEPTEMBER 2006
ALTANA, a company noted in the German share index DAX, sells its pharmaceutical division to Nycomed. This Danish pharmaceutical company will be paying 4.5 billion euros. Nycomed is owned by finance investors such as Nordic Capital, Blackstone and CSFB Private Equity.

 21. SEPTEMBER 2006
The Australian pharmaceutical company Mayne Pharma is taken over for 2.6 billion euros by Hospira, a
US pharmaceutical company that focuses on the production of generic drugs. Analysts reckon that this is the fourth biggest takeover within the generic drug market since 1998.

 20. SEPTEMBER 2006
According to information from financial circles, ALTANA Pharma will merge with the Danish company Nycomed. Nycomed mainly belongs to the financial investors Nordic Capital, Blackstone and CSFB Private Equity.

18. SEPTEMBER 2006
Kingsbridge Capital, der owner of the model railway manufacturer Märklin, also wants to enter the German hospital market, according to the Knightsbridge chairman Mathias Hink. Kingsbridge has only recently tried to buy the Eilbek clinic in Hamburg together with a the investment specialist Medics Venture.

14. SEPTEMBER 2006
Asklepios ist the first German clinic chain that builds an own hospital in China. The costs amount to 200 million euros and are financed by a consortium of Asklepios and the medical branch of Siemens.

13. SEPTEMBER 2006
The DocMorris pharmacy subsidiary in Saarbrücken had to be closed for the time being. The administrative court spokesman made following statement: "The decision is substantially based on the so-called "foreign ownership prohibition" of the German pharmacist law which stipulates that a German pharmacy must be owned by a pharmacist." But this foreign ownership prohibition contradicts the European competitive law and therefore it is more than doubtful if this reason will affect the main legal proceedings.

11. SEPTEMBER 2006
The wellness sector gains even more ground.  According to Dr Josef Hilbert, research director for Healthmarket and Life Quality at the Institute for Work and Technics (Gelsenkirchen), the wellness sector is one of the driving forces for growths and jobs in the health market. The sports and fitness sector alone will produce a turnover of 73 billion euros this year.  

11. SEPTEMBER 2006
The interest in Altana Pharma is fading. The interested parties, the finance investor EQT and the pharmaceutical company Nycomed have reduced their bids from 5 billion euros to 4 billion euros. The reason for this are higher restructuring expenses and lower turnover forecasts for the stomach remedy Pantoprazol. 

7. SEPTEMBER 2006
The health market is becoming an increasingly important location factor for most federal governments. Hermann Schulte-Sasse, Berlin State Secretary for Health, concedes that there will be no more metropolitain regions who will not profit from the dynamity of the healthmarket. This is no big wonder, as the Hamburg based world economy archive assumes there will be more than 500,000 new jobs in this sector within the next 15 years. 

7. SEPTEMBER 2006
Marketing becomes more important for clinics. A representative survey among German clinics showed that mainly big clinics with more than 300 beds intend to spend more money on public relations. The clinics are focussing on creating an own brand and an own Corporate Design. 

7. SEPTEMBER 2006
The biggest medical care centre in Germany, the Berliner Polikum, intends to expand. First of all,  the head office should be expanded and two new centres opened up in Berlin. Then the first subsidiary is planned to open in either Hamburg or Berlin in 2009.


5. SEPTEMBER 2006
The Deutsche Post service will be supplying all national hospitals in Britain. The contract will last 10 years and a total turnover volume of 2.3 billion euro. Therefore its subsidiary DHL will open up a division called NHS Supply Chain.
 

4. SEPTEMBER 2006
Apax and Nordic Capital offer 1.7 billion euro for Capio. That is 35 percent more than the average market-price last month.  

1. SEPTEMBER 2006
 The Allianz equity division Allianz Capital Partners (ACP) sold the British nursery home chain Four Seasons Healthcare. The investment corporation Three Delta LLP paid 2.07 billion euro.  

1. SEPTEMBER 2006
General Electric (GE) wants to grow within the German medical engineering business. GE is mostly interested in IT-service providers for hospital.  

31. AUGUST 2006
Medigene takes over their British competitor Avidex. Parallelly, the previous Avidex-owners are new members of the Medigene executive board. Medigene is run by the financial investment company Advent.  

31. AUGUST 2006
The German federal state of Schleswig-Holstein plans to privatise its university clinic. But the absolute majority will not, unlike in Hesse, be sold to a private investor. A holding company which will be shar