The deal is set to expand Roquette’s oral solution portfolio within the pharmaceutical and nutraceutical categories and reinforce its position as a major supplier within the industry.
Japan-based Qualicaps, part of the Mitsubishi Chemical Group, is the third largest producer of hard oral capsules for suppliers around the world, bringing a strong client base and a team of 1,400 employees across Asia, Europe, and the Americas.
With additional manufacturing and R&D sites across Spain, Romania, Canada, the USA, and Brazil, Roquette’s acquisition will enable continued global growth within this category.
Qualicaps has a capsule portfolio consisting of Quail-G gelatin capsules, Quali-V Hypromellose plant-based capsules, and Quali-V-I capsules designed for inhalation. The company’s pharmaceutical production equipment includes capsule filling and sealing machines, as well as quality management, imprinting, and soft gel machines.
Combining this expertise of nutraceutical and pharmaceutical-grade capsule production, as well as pharmaceutical processing equipment, is set to ensure future innovation within this category for Roquette.
The closing of the deal is due to occur towards the end of 2023, following the fulfilment of customary and legal conditions.
Pierre Courduroux, CEO of Roquette, said the announcement is “a significant step in Roquette’s journey to reinforce its position as a key player in Health and Nutrition markets.
“Qualicaps’ strong position in hard capsules will represent a significant addition to our excipients’ portfolio and will enable our company to offer more solutions responding to the needs of our customers and to the demands of patients who are looking for continuously better treatments,” he added.
Roquette’s nutraceuticals innovations
Roquette currently has a range of naturally derived excipients and solutions from plant-based raw materials such as corn, wheat, potato and pea, for the production of supplements in the nutraceutical and pharmaceutical categories.
These ingredients exist across a range of categories, including those to ensure optimal coatings for tablets, disintegrants for dispersible capsules, fillers, diluents, and binders, as well as liquid solutions.
The firm recently launched a new excipient named Pearitol ProTec for moisture sensitive active ingredients such as probiotics. The excipient is a co-processed blend of plant-based mannitol and maize starch, according the company, that “protects and stabilises moisture sensitive active ingredients like probiotics, unlocking longer shelf life, improved consistency and wider opportunities for consumer-friendly dosage formats”.
Roquette also recently partnered with Pharmabiome for its patented microbiome NicheMap technology, enabling for the production of precision prebiotic fibres targeted to ensure optimal interaction with the microbiome.
The technology will enable for the continued innovation of novel fibres by Roquette, extending from their current Nutroise range; with studies highlighting successes in managing blood sugar levels, digestive health, and satiety.
Dr. Laetitia Guérin-Deremaux, Head of Nutrition and Health R&D at Roquette, commented at the time of the partnership: “This project with PharmaBiome will allow Roquette to offer new microbiome-targeted fibers with scientifically proven health benefits. We are very pleased by the results of this continued collaboration which reinforces our commitment to delivering plant-based innovative ingredients to the food, nutrition, and health sectors.”