WuXi Biologics Completes Acquisition of Bayer Biologics and COVID-19 Vaccines Facility with Heuking
May, 2021 - Germany
Globally operating Chinese group WuXi Biologics completed the acquisition of a drug substance facility from Bayer AG in Wuppertal. Closing took place in Cologne on April 30, 2021. A team led by Dirk W. Kolvenbach, Partner at the Düsseldorf office, and Michael Pauli from the Cologne office of Heuking Kühn Lüer Wojtek legally advised the Chinese group on the acquisition.
The new facility in Wuppertal is one of Germany’s largest production sites for vaccines and will be used for the production of highly demanded substances for COVID-19 vaccines and other biologics. WuXi Biologics plans to make additional investments in process equipment at the Wuppertal site.
“We are very proud to have provided legal support for the acquisition of this major vaccine production facility,” said lawyer Dirk W. Kolvenbach. “Through this transaction, we are also able to make an important contribution at the legal level for vaccine production, including COVID-19 vaccines, in Germany.”
Bayer and WuXi Biologics also entered into a long-term sublease agreement and a service agreement. Bayer will provide various services to WuXi Biologics during the start-up of the facility, contributing its own resources. Signing already took place on December 21, 2020. The transaction volume, including the lease agreement, exceeds EUR 150 million.
WuXi Biologics, a Hong Kong0listed company, is a leading global open access biologics technology platform offering end-to-end solutions to empower organizations to discover, develop, and manufacture biologics from concept to commercial manufacturing.
For the team led by Kolvenbach, this is not the first transaction for WuXi. Heuking had already advised WuXi Biologics on the acquisition of a drug formulation plant from Bayer in 2020.
Counsel to WuXi Biologics
Heuking Kühn Lüer Wojtek:
Dirk W. Kolvenbach (Corporate/Project Coordination), Düsseldorf
Michael Pauli, LL.M. (Corporate/Project Coordination), Cologne
Mathis Dick, LL.M. (Real Estate), Düsseldorf
Michael Below, (Public Law), Düsseldorf
Dr. Bodo Dehne (Investment Control), Düsseldorf
Wolfram Meven (Tax), Düsseldorf
Dr. Rainer Velte (Antitrust), Düsseldorf
Fabian Gerstner, LL.M., Munich
Bettina Neheider (both Construction), Munich
Dr. Tobias Plath, LL.M. (Insurance),
Torsten Groß, LL.M. (Employment),
Sarah Radon, LL.M. (Commercial), all Düsseldorf
