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Freshfields advises Grünenthal on joint venture collaboration with Kyowa Kirin International
Global law firm Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer (‘Freshfields’) is advising Grünenthal, the Germany-based global leader in pain management and related diseases, on a collaboration with Kyowa Kirin International, the Japan-based global specialty pharmaceutical company, regarding Kyowa Kirin's established medicines portfolio, which was announced yesterday.
The total revenues of the portfolio, which comprises 13 brands across six therapeutic areas focussed primarily on pain management (including Abstral® and PecFent® for breakthrough cancer pain, Moventig® for opioid-induced constipation, and Adcal-D3® for osteoporosis), were approximately €200 million in 2021. The products are marketed through affiliates in seven major European countries and through a network of partners in various additional territories worldwide.
The transaction is subject to obtaining customary approvals and clearances, including anti-trust and works councils as legally required. Upon approval, Grünenthal will own a 51 per cent. majority stake in the newly-formed joint venture and intends to acquire the remaining shares at the beginning of 2026.
Freshfields is working closely again with the legal team at Grünenthal led by Sebastian Köhler (General Counsel), Benjamin Kaiser (Head of Legal M&A), Claudia Schmidt (Senior Legal Counsel M&A), Ulrike Albus (Senior Patents & Trademarks Counsel), Cordula Meckenstock (Chief Responsibility Officer) and Maike Bermüller (Commercial Responsibility & Business Ethics Officer).
The Freshfields team is led by Partners Lars Meyer (Corporate/M&A, Frankfurt/Berlin) and Philipp Dohnke (Corporate/IP), Principal Associate Jil Rollmann and Associate Vasco Ollero (both Corporate/M&A, all Hamburg). It further comprises Principal Associate Philipp Lehmann (Corporate/IP), Associate Maximilian Zellerhoff (Corporate/IP, both Hamburg), Counsel Rikin Morjaria and Associate Rob Colemeadow (both Corporate/M&A, London), Partner Ulrich Sittard (Düsseldorf) and Principal Associate Flavia Lang (Hamburg, both Employment Law), Partners Christian Ruoff (Hamburg) and May Smith (London), Counsel Tanja Walter-Yadegardjam (Frankfurt) and Principal Associate Rose Swaffield (London, all Tax), Partner Rod Carlton (London), Principal Associate Enrica Schaefer and Associate Riccardo Fadiga (both Brussels, all Antitrust), Partner Michael Ramb (Düsseldorf/Berlin), Counsel Sascha Arnold (Hamburg), Counsel Lukas Pomaroli and Associate Isabel Süß (both Vienna; all Regulatory), Partners Nina Bayerl (Munich) and Wolrad Prinz zu Waldeck and Pyrmont (Düsseldorf/Munich) and Associate Kilian Seidel (Munich, all Patents/IP Litigation).
