Management Consulting

The development of the biotech industry in Italy is Biopolo's main priority. This development started back in the middle of the '90s when many multinational pharmaceutical companies decided to close their R&D facilities in Italy.
Since then, Biopolo has been offering to the industry new business strategies to explore through feasibility studies and strategic planning.As a result of these activities, Biopolo led to several Management Buy-Out operations (MBOs) and also followed two successful Initial Public Offers (IPO).

MBOs Case history:

- Vicuron Pharmaceuticals: in 1996 Biopolo carried out a feasibility study commissioned by HOECHST MARION ROUSSEL (HMR), targeted at assessing the possibility of the sale, transformation and restructuring of Centre R&D Lepetit at Gerenzano (VA), owned by the same multinational.The study and project were approved by HMR and, in December 1996, Biosearch Italia S.p.A. was founded by means of a management buy-out. The resulting company, Biosearch Italia SpA, is a biotech entity engaged in the research and development of new antibiotics for the prevention and cure of highly resistant bacterial infections. In 1999, the British Venture Capital Fund 3i became a shareholder, buying out about 40% of capital (Lit. 28,000 million). Biosearch Italia was the first biotech company to enter the Italian hi-tech market. This took place on 31st July 2000 with a floatation of around 1,000 billion LIT. In 2003 Biosearch Italia merged with Versicor to create Vicuron Pharmaceuticals. In 2005 Vicuron Pharmaceuticals was acquired by Pfizer for $1.9 billion.

- Novuspharma: The feasibility study provided for the conversion of the Boehringer Mannheim Italia Research Centre (BMIt) in Monza which, until 1997, had been one of the Boehringer Mannheim (BM) groupʼs three main research centres. BMʼs specific interests are centred on preclinical oncological research. Following acquisition of the latter by Hoffman-La Roche (HLR), the centre stopped playing a strategic role.Within this context, Biopolo was commissioned to conduct a feasibility study aimed at transforming the centre into an independent company. The study was approved by HRL and, on 5/11/1998, resulted in the setting up of Novuspharma S.p.A. In September 1999, three venture capitalists ( 3i, Atlas Venture and Sofinnova ) decided to invest heavily buying 75% of the shares of the company. In November 2000 Novuspharma became a public company raising approximately 750 billion lira at New Market in Milan. In 2003 Novuspharma merged into Cell Therapeutics Inc.

- Newron Pharmaceuticals: The company's birth was preceeded by a feasibility study commissioned to the perspective Founders and to Biopolo by Pharmacia & UpJohn (PNU). PNU had decided the dismissal of their CNS and Immunology Research Divisions in Neriviano, Italy. This decision was the result of PNU reorganization of their worldwide scattered reaserch facilities, and entailed the setting up of a wage guarantee fund for research personnel. Biopolo's involvement contributed to safeguard of not only employment resources but also of the know-how accumulated over the years by the research group. The feasibility study was presented to PNU and deemed by their top management sufficient premise for the creation of an independent company. All of this led to constitution of Newron Pharmaceuticals S.p.A. The new company absorbed a number of researchers from Nerviano. In 2006 the company went public at Zurich Stock Exchange.