PHOENIX Pharma Switzerland AG and Voigt Holding AG are planning a joint venture in pharmaceutical wholesale and pre-wholesale

PHOENIX Pharma Switzerland AG and Voigt Holding AG are planning a joint venture in pharmaceutical wholesale and pre-wholesale

The challenges faced by the Swiss healthcare market are set to continue to grow in the future and further increase the pressure on market participants. This is why it is crucial for players in the healthcare supply chain to be able to offer an effective blend of products and services as well as comprehensive market coverage in order to stay innovative and competitive.

As a result, PHOENIX Pharma Switzerland AG – a subsidiary of the family-owned PHOENIX group – and the family-owned company Voigt Holding AG have decided to have their respective subsidiaries, Amedis-UE AG and Voigt AG and Voigt Industrie Service AG, enter into a 50/50 joint venture. Both companies are well established, in sound financial positions and have a similar understanding of business as well as complementary service ranges and supply chain capabilities. They are a very good fit and, between them, have what it takes to effectively meet future challenges. In taking this step towards creating a joint future, PHOENIX Pharma Switzerland and the Voigt Group are also securing jobs in the two venture companies in the medium to long term. Pharmacies BENU SA and Pharmapost AG are not part of the joint venture, which focuses on logistics. Both of these companies will be expanded separately by PHOENIX Pharma Switzerland.

Subject to approval by the Swiss Competition Commission (COMCO), this joint venture would create a new, expert and future-oriented player that would cover the entire supply chain of the Swiss healthcare market. In future, it would provide its high-quality, efficient and innovative services for manufacturers, service providers and the specialist retail market on an even more competitive basis, taking special account of the Swiss healthcare market’s particularities. As part of this, it would, for example, pave the way for optimising warehouse and delivery logistics and making them more flexible, for expanding the product range and for developing new types of digital platforms for easier and more direct access to services, product ranges and information.

The Competition Commission’s antitrust investigations will begin within the next few days. Once the contracts are signed, PHOENIX Pharma Switzerland and the Voigt Group will start to plan the implementation of the joint venture in compliance with the relevant antitrust requirements. The companies will be able to provide more information about the scheduled implementation as soon as the Competition Commission’s approval and implementation plan are available. We are currently anticipating that this will take another six to eight months.

Until the Competition Commission approves the venture and it comes into effect, PHOENIX Pharma Switzerland and the Voigt Group will continue to be competitors. This means that, until that time, everything will continue as usual for their staff, customers and industry partners.