New Delhi, Sept. 7 -- Novartis India Ltd, controlled by homegrown private equity firm ChrysCapital, has inked a deal to acquire Pfizer's blood pressure medication brand 'Minipress', as the drugmaker pursues acquisitions to aid its growth.
As per a stock exchange filing on Monday, the Mumbai-listed drugmaker, formerly a unit of the Swiss pharma major Novartis AG, said it will acquire the trademarks 'Minipress' and 'Minipres' registered in India, along with certain related intellectual property rights from Pfizer Inc USA and Pfizer Products Inc USA for Rs 1,250 crore ($132 million).
Pfizer Ltd, the US pharma giant's local subsidiary, said in a separate stock exchange filing that it will discontinue the marketing, distribution and sale of Minipress XL effective September 7, following Pfizer Inc.'s decision to discontinue the production of Minipress XL.
Minipress XL (containing prazosin) is primarily indicated in India for treating hypertension (high blood pressure) and managing the urinary symptoms of benign prostatic hyperplasia. The brand recorded revenue of Rs 228.6 crore and has been growing at a compound annual rate of 6.3 % for the past four years while the category has been growing at 9%, Novartis India said, citing July 2026 moving annual total data from healthcare research firm IQVIA.
Novartis India will pursue acquisitions and expand its portfolio by launching new products and selectively in-licensing differentiated therapies, the company said in its annual report.
"At its core is strengthening our flagship brands, deepening specialist engagement and sharpening medical outreach on the franchises that have earned decades of prescriber loyalty," it added.
The latest acquisition comes after ChrysCapital wrapped up its acquisition of Novartis India by July-end, acquiring a 70.68% stake for Rs 1,445.8 crore. It failed to acquire a further 26% stake in Novartis India via an open offer as the company's shares rallied since the initial announcement of the deal in February.
Novartis AG had announced in early 2024 that it was exploring a strategic review of its India unit. At the time, the Swiss pharma major said that the review won't impact another India unit, Novartis Healthcare Pvt Ltd.
Novartis's presence in India dates back to 1947. It operates in the country via two entities: Novartis Healthcare and the Mumbai-listed Novartis India. For the Swiss giant, India is one of the few countries where it has a broad presence, including four divisions, namely: commercial pharma operations, drug development, biomedical research, and operations.
For the fiscal year 2025-26, the company's revenue from operations softened to Rs 354.3 crore from Rs 356.3 crore, according to Novartis India's annual report. Meanwhile, its net profit declined to Rs 93.2 crore in FY26 from over Rs 100 crore the previous year.
The company aims to strengthen its flagship brands including established franchises like Voveran, Methergin, Macalvit and Calcium Sandoz, which are central to the 2026-27 transition.
Published by HT Digital Content Services with permission from VC Circle.