

Giorgio Carere
Ethica Group
Founded in 2005 and headquartered in Arona, Italy, Apharm has over the years established itself as a leader in the market for food supplements and medical devices, relying on a solid IP of over ten patent families, especially in the areas of gastrointestinal and orthopaedic therapy, and approximately 40 globally registered trademarks. The Company generated more than €10 mln in revenues in 2018.
Ethica Corporate Finance advised the shareholders of Apharm, a leading player in the research and development of food supplements and medical devices, in the sale of a majority stake to Nutrilinea. Apharm founders, Angelo and Paolo Pizzoni will maintain a 30% stake in the company and will continue to operate with executive remit in the context of strategic development and product innovation and sales. This partnership will contribute to creating a leading European player in the production and development of nutraceutical products, strengthening R&D and concentrating on product innovation. This collaboration combines Nutrilinea’s high-quality manufacturing standards and operational flexibility with Apharm’s ability to develop new products.
Having acted as sell-side advisor in previous deals in the sector, Ethica has been able to leverage a solid knowledge of the reference market and players and managed a competitive sell-side process including both PE Funds and strategic buyers. Ethica supported Apharm founders by adding value both in terms of economics and in terms of finding the best strategic partnership.