Swindon & Wiltshire News
Drugs firm Pharmaxo acquired by Australian cancer care group
Wiltshire-based pharmaceutical and healthcare company Pharmaxo has been acquired by Australian cancer care company Icon Group – an operator of integrated cancer care centres throughout Australia and South East Asia.
Corsham-based Pharmaxo – which received the Queen’s Award for Enterprise in 2019 – is a leading pharmaceutical specialist manufacturer (Bath ASU) and clinical homecare provider (Pharmaxo Healthcare) employing 400 people.
The deal marks Icon’s pharmaceutical entry in the UK.
Chris Watt, executive chair of the Pharmaxo group, said: “For 20 years Bath ASU has been at the heart of the UK compounding sector through shaping the development of chemotherapy dose banding, establishing validated technical training delivered at universities and setting out the standards the NHS now uses to assess the stability of complex biological medicines.”
“We are now at a stage where global scale matters. We believe we can achieve more, and can continue to shape our industry, by joining forces with Icon Group.”
Icon Group CEO, Mark Middleton said: “Welcoming Pharmaxo to Icon Group reflects our ongoing commitment to improving access to world-class healthcare in the UK.
“Cancer rates continue to rise and there is a significant need to increase manufacturing of cancer drugs to address growing care gaps.
“Pharmaxo has built a solid foundation for growth. Combined with Icon’s strong 60-year track record in pharmaceuticals and sterile compounding under the Slade Health brand, together we will continue bringing the latest drugs to where people need them in the UK, eliminating unnecessary travel and ensuring timely access to life-saving medications.”
Image: Nick Cole Photography for Pharmaxo
