Grifols expands its plasma collection network by acquiring 24 Biotest centers in the United States

Barcelona (Spain), August 1, 2018.- Grifols (MCE: GRF, MCE: GRF.P, NASDAQ: GRFS) has closed a transaction to acquire 24 plasma donation centers in the United States operated by Biotest Pharmaceuticals Corp., a wholly-owned subsidiary of Biotest US Corporation, for USD 286 million (EUR 244 million). Grifols financed the transaction with its own resources, without issuing debt.

Following this acquisition, Grifols will own 249 plasma donation centers to ensure access to its main raw material and increase its supply of plasma proteins used for therapeutic purposes. All of the newly acquired plasma donation centers are licensed by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and European health authorities. In 2017, these acquired plasma donation centers collected approximately 850,000 liters of plasma.

The agreement includes 24 collection centers, 2 plasma centers under construction and a series of other assets, among them, existing working capital amounting to approximately USD 40 million.

The transaction has been approved by all competent regulatory authorities.

By expanding and diversifying its network of donation centers, Grifols reinforces its global leadership position in plasma collection in alignment with its strategic plan. This transaction, coupled with the 2016-2021 capital investment plans for the Bioscience Division (endowed with more than EUR 500 million) will enable Grifols to meet the projected growing demand for plasma-derived medicines.

Grifols currently owns 214 centers in the U.S. and 35 in Europe following the acquisition of Haema, Germany's largest independent network of donation centers. Its overall strategy also includes an agreement to build and manage plasma donation centers in China with Boya Bio-Pharmaceutical, a leading Chinese manufacturer of plasma-derived medicines.

Osborne Clarke, S.L.P. acted as legal advisor for the transaction.