Swiss group agrees $390 million deal for medicines business with operations in North Africa

Swiss group DKSH has agreed to acquire NewBridge Pharmaceuticals in a transaction valued at $390 million, expanding its healthcare business into the Middle East and North Africa through a company with offices in Egypt, Algeria and Morocco.

• DKSH has agreed to acquire NewBridge Pharmaceuticals at a $390 million enterprise value.
• NewBridge’s regional network includes offices in Egypt, Algeria and Morocco.
• Its partnerships cover the commercialisation and distribution of specialist medicines.
• Regulatory approvals remain outstanding, with completion expected by March 2027.

The agreement covers the entire Dubai-headquartered business. The disclosed figure is its enterprise value, which measures the value of the operating business and can differ from the amount ultimately paid to shareholders.

NewBridge helps international pharmaceutical companies bring specialist medicines into regional markets. Its work includes sales, marketing, distribution and support for market access.

That makes the acquisition relevant to North African healthcare systems as well as Gulf markets. The business connects overseas drug developers with the local commercial networks needed to reach healthcare providers and patients.

DKSH announced the agreement in a statement dated 19 October⁠. Completion remains subject to regulatory approvals and other customary conditions, with closing expected by the end of March 2027.

NewBridge’s own records provide a clearer picture of its African footprint. In a November 2025 announcement⁠, it identified offices in Egypt, Algeria and Morocco as part of a network covering 14 countries.

That announcement marked the operational launch of its partnership with Danish drugmaker Lundbeck. NewBridge assumed responsibility for sales, marketing, access and distribution of Lundbeck’s neuroscience medicines across the region.

A separate agreement with Kyowa Kirin⁠ gave NewBridge distribution responsibilities for two rare-disease treatments in Algeria, Libya, Iraq and Jordan. These partnerships illustrate the commercial relationships DKSH would acquire.

The business model also explains why a medicines transaction can matter without involving the construction of a factory. A pharmaceutical company can retain the development and manufacture of its treatments while assigning regional commercial responsibilities to a partner with local expertise.

The impact on North African patients and healthcare providers will depend on supply continuity and whether additional therapies become available. A change in ownership alone does not guarantee lower medicine prices or wider access.

The proposed acquisition would give DKSH an established regional platform. Neither company has disclosed how much of NewBridge’s revenue comes from North Africa, limiting any assessment of the African operations’ share of the transaction.

DKSH has confirmed the acquisition terms, while NewBridge’s African offices and distribution partnerships are documented separately.