The Bundeskartellamt has cleared the acquisition of the regionally active pharmaceutical wholesaler Ebert+Jacobi GmbH & Co. KG by the cooperative Noweda, which is active as a pharmaceutical wholesaler throughout Germany.

The merger affects in particular southern Germany and Hesse where the business locations of Ebert+Jacobi are situated.

Andreas Mundt, President of Bundeskartellamt: "The pharmaceutical wholesalers Phoenix and/or Alliance Healthcare will remain the market leaders in all the regional markets, but with the acquisition Noweda has moved into second or third place. Also in a national context Noweda is still the second largest wholesaler after Phoenix, followed by the companies Gehe, Sanacorp and Alliance Healthcare. Pharmacies will still have several pharmaceutical wholesalers as alternative suppliers after the merger, both at a regional and national level.”

As of the date of the merger, cooperation will be reduced with other companies in the sector. Ebert+Jacobi will leave the Pharma Privat group, a purchasing association of small and medium-sized pharmaceutical wholesalers in Germany. An existing IT service contract with a company belonging to the Pharma Privat group will also be terminated to allay concerns expressed by the Bundeskartellamt.