PROBIO has announced that it has entered into an agreement to acquire GELKAPS GmbH, one of Europe's leading manufacturers of pharmaceutical and nutraceutical grade soft gelatin capsules. GELKAPS is located in Falkenhagen, Germany, between Berlin and Hamburg. The company has a leading edge in the industry in the area of complex emulsions, suspensions and combination products that will add substantial strength to the leading omega-3 competence of PROBIO.

After this transaction PROBIO will have four modern production facilities in three countries and will have pharmaceutical and nutraceutical capabilities in soft gel encapsulations, powders, liquid and tablet dosage forms. In total PROBIO has, after including GELKAPS, more than 300 employees in Norway, Germany, Finland and Russia. The plants in Båtsfjord, Andenes (both Norway), Seinäjoki (Finland) and Falkenhagen (Germany) will, following the closing, cater customers as a single organization led by Ralf-Dieter Blesel, the current Managing Director of GELKAPS. Mr. Blesel, who has many years of senior managerial experience as Managing Director for companies like Azupharma gmbh (currently Sandoz AG), Anton Hübner AG and Bayer AG, will take over as the head of PROBIO’s core business area Pharma & Supplements. These plants will have combined annual volume of more than 4.0 billion daily dosages, with a plan to increase to 8 billion daily dosages within 2012 and then every day contribute to good health to 20 million consumers in Europe. Per Benjaminsen remarked, “This acquisition will create a Pan European player taking a high-road in the highly fragmented industry. We are excited about the prospects of building a very large company in the next few years and accelerating growth. Consumers are looking for documented, but also new and novel solutions to cope with ageing and health related issues. PROBIO and GELKAPS will together have the capability and innovative strength to meet the needs of these consumers.