Our History
Dechra has a long history in the veterinary health market, and has grown into a global veterinary pharmaceuticals and related products business. Its expertise is in the development, manufacture and sales and marketing of high quality products exclusively for veterinarians worldwide.
More recent changes, including a number of highly successful acquisitions, have helped shape the current business. However, its heritage has undoubtedly contributed to Dechra being the successful business that it is today.
The DECHRA timeline
A potted history.
Filter from year, type and country:
1989
1989
National Veterinary Services established
National Veterinary Services (NVS) was established as a venture capital funded business. NVS is a major veterinary wholesaler in the UK, supplying pharmaceuticals, pet products, instruments, consumables, accessories and IT to veterinary practices.
Company
1992
Lloyds Chemist PLC acquired NVS
Lloyds Chemist PLC acquired NVS and immediately amalgamated it with another of their acquisitions, Willington Medicals Limited, a UK veterinary wholesaler. At the same time Lloyds purchased Arnolds & Sons, (established in 1819 and a major supplier of instruments and equipment to the veterinary industry with own-branded pharmaceuticals), and Dales, (a licensed manufacturer of human and veterinary pharmaceuticals for Arnolds and other third party customers, having a manufacturing site in Skipton). This formed a veterinary division in the company.
Company
June 1997
Dechra Pharmaceuticals was formed
Dechra Pharmaceuticals was formed by a management buyout from Lloyds. The Dechra Group consisted of three operating companies: NVS, Arnolds & Dales.
Company
September 2000
Dechra floated on the London Stock Exchange
Dechra floated on the London Stock Exchange at 120 pence per share.
Company
2001
Vetoryl was first launched
Vetoryl, the only globally licensed treatment for canine hyperadrenocorticism, was first launched in the UK.
Product
April 2002
Dechra acquired Veterinary Laboratories
Dechra acquired North Western Laboratories and Cambridge Specialist Laboratory Services in April, enabling it to extend its service offering to the veterinary profession.
Company
April 2002
Felimazole launched
Felimazole, the first pan-European licenced product for the treatment of feline hyperthyroidism, was launched in the UK.
Product
May 2002
The acquisition of Anglian Pharma PLC
The acquisition of Anglian Pharma PLC in May 2002, doubled Dechra’s contract manufacturing revenues and strengthened its depth and experience in manufacturing.
Company
2003
North Western Laboratories was rebranded
North Western Laboratories was rebranded to NationWide Laboratories.
Company
2003
Sub-license agreement
Dechra entered into a sub-license agreement with Bioenvision Inc to develop Vetoryl for future marketing in the US and Canada.
Product
December 2003
European marketing agreement
A European marketing agreement was made with Janssen Animal Health in December allowing Janssen full marketing and distribution rights to Felimazole and Vetoryl in mainland Europe.
Company
2004
EU license granted
Dechra was granted a full EU license for Felimazole and granted a UK license for a new Felimazole 2.5 mg tablet.
Product
April 2005
Dechra US was established
Dechra US was established in Kansas City, Missouri.
Company
April 2005
Major new products introduced
April saw 30 mg Vetoryl launched as a line extension. Plus Dechra acquired Vetivex a range of veterinary fluid therapy products for £0.8m.
Product
July 2005
Approval received
Approval was received to market Vetoryl in 19 major European countries.
Product
June 2006
Development and marketing agreement signed
In June a development and marketing agreement was signed with Kyoritsu Seiyaku for Vetoryl in Japan.
Product
2007
Leeds Veterinary Laboratories acquired
The Group acquired Leeds Veterinary Laboratories, thereby extending the Group’s laboratory business.
Company
2007
Trademark license and marketing agreement
Dechra secured a long term trademark license and marketing agreement with Pharmaderm Animal health for a consideration of $5.0m, to supply a range of dermatological, ophthalmic and otic products to the US veterinary market.
Product
January 2008
Acquisition of VetXX Holdings A/S
The Group completed the acquisition of VetXX Holdings A/S. VetXX, based in Denmark, was a developer, producer and marketer of companion veterinary products in ten European countries. The acquisition provided Dechra with a strong European footprint and materially increased Dechra’s range of licensed veterinary products.
Company
2008
FDA approval received
FDA approval was received for Vetoryl in the US.
Product
December 2008
Business becomes 'Dechra Veterinary Products'
Arnolds and the newly acquired VetXX business were renamed as Dechra Veterinary Products in December 2008.
Company
2009
FDA approval received
FDA approval was received for Felimazole in the US.
Product
2009
Mutual recognition
Mutual recognition of Malaseb was achieved in 17 European countries.
Product
October 2010
DermaPet Inc. acquired
DermaPet Inc., a Florida based dermatological business, was acquired. This acquisition strengthened Dechra's position as a leader in the worldwide dermatological market.
Company
December 2010
Genitrix Limited acquired
Dechra also acquired Genitrix Limited, a privately owned veterinary company with a range of products complementary to Dechra's.
Company
May 2012
Eurovet Animal Health B.V. acquired
Dechra acquired Eurovet Animal Health B.V., a continental European veterinary pharmaceuticals business based in the Netherlands. Eurovet had a proven track record in delivering value added and affordable products to market.
The acquisition gave Dechra a strong direct operation in Germany; a territory where Dechra's products were previously marketed via a third party distributor. It also provided a range of products for food producing animals, a sector that Dechra not previously been strong in.
Company
2012
Dechra acquires worldwide rights
Dechra acquired the worldwide rights (excluding Canada) to HY-50 for a cash consideration of 8.03m Canadian dollars.
Product
2013
Sites rebranded
The closure of Dechra's manufacturing site in Uldum Denmark was announced and the sites in Skipton and Bladel were rebranded as Dechra Pharmaceuticals Manufacturing.
Company
August 2013
Disposal of Services Section
Dechra marked its intention to focus on the pharmaceutical side of the business by the disposal of its Services Segment (NVS and the laboratories), selling it to Patterson Companies Inc for £87.5m.
Company
October 2015
Dechra acquires Genera
Genera joined the Dechra group. This provided Dechra a unique opportunity to enter the vaccines market thereby increasing their food producing animal product offering. It has also meant that they have expanded into the Adriatic region, improved their coverage of the rest of the world and increased their pharmaceutical manufacturing capabilities.
Company
January 2016
Dechra acquires Brovel - Mexico
Dechra acquired Laboratorios Brovel SA de CV, a veterinary pharmaceuticals company based in Mexico City in order to increase its global coverage. This company has now changed its name to Dechra-Brovel, SA de CV.
Company
April 2016
Dechra acquires Putney in the US
This acquisition has accelerated Dechra’s North American strategy, doubling the US business and adding critical mass in the world’s largest companion animal market. With a high quality product range and complementary therapeutic focus areas Putney strengthened Dechra's product pipeline for the US.
Company
October 2016
Dechra completes acquisition of Apex Laboratories Pty Ltd
Dechra acquired the trade and assets of Apex, which is based in Somersby near Sydney, Australia. Apex manufactures, markets and sells branded non-proprietary prescription and other related companion animal products in Australia and New Zealand. It gave Dechra direct access to the established and growing Australian companion animal product market and provided a base from which to support and build Dechra’s expansion in the Australasian and Asian regions.
Trade and Assets
March 2017
Medical Ethics Pty Ltd
33% share in Medical Ethics Pty Ltd completed for AUD$18.0 million along with a long term marketing contract.
Company
December 2017
Dechra completes acquisition of RxVet Limited
First established in 2010 by two entrepreneurs with an animal health background, RxVet Limited was a distributor of veterinary products in New Zealand and had acted as Dechra's distributor in the New Zealand market since 2010. Dechra acquired RxVet in December 2017 for a total consideration of £0.3million (NZ$0.6million), with a further £0.02million (NZ$0.04million) deferred payment paid in July 2018.
Company
February 2018
Dechra acquires AST Farma and Le Vet
In February 2018 Dechra acquired AST Farma and Le Vet for a total cash consideration of €340million on a debt-free and cash-free basis. These acquisitions added to Dechra's EU product portfolio and strengthened its Dutch market position, providing direct-to-vet relationships.
Company
October 2018
Dechra completes bolt-on acquisition of Caledonian
Caledonian Holdings (Caledonian) was established in 2010 by a group of entrepreneurial equine veterinarians in New Zealand and Australia.Over the years Caledonian established itself as an important supplier to equine veterinary practices in New Zeal and and Australia and delivered additional growth in Hong Kong. Dechra acquired the trade and assets of Caledonian in October 2018 for a cash consideration of NZ$8.7 million (£4.4m).
Trade and Assets
October 2018
Dechra acquires Laboratorios Vencofarma do Brasil Ltd
In mid October 2018, Dechra acquired Laboratorios Vencofarma do Brasil Ltd, based in Londrina, Brazil for a total consideration of R$185m (£37.8m). It has a large portfolio of Vaccines and other Food producing Animal Products (FAP) which it sold predominantly within Brazil and other South American and international markets, as well as a small range of Companion Animal Products (CAP) vaccines and pharmaceuticals, which are sold mainly on the Brazilian market.The acquisition provided Dechra with a strategically significant presence within the rapidly growing Brazilian and South American markets.
Company
Juli 2019
Increased investment in Medical Ethics Pty Ltd
Dechra acquired a further 15.0% of the issued share capital of Medical Ethics Pty Ltd (Medical Ethics), the parent company of Animal Ethics, for a total consideration of c.AUD$13.5 million (£8.0 million). Following this acquisition, Dechra holds 48.0% of the issued share capital of Medical Ethics.
Company
August 2019
Dechra acquires Ampharmco in the US
In August, Dechra acquired Ampharmco LLC (APC) and its associated holding companies, Dragon Fire Holdings LLC and Black Griffin Holdings LLC together with its manufacturing site based in Fort Worth, Texas, for a cash consideration of US$30.0 million (£24.5 million). APC provided Dechra with an FDA registered facility to manufacture solid dose, liquids, creams and ointments, which significantly strengthens its manufacturing capabilities for the North American market.
Company
April 2020
Dechra acquires worldwide rights to the Mirataz® product portfolio
Dechra acquired the worldwide rights of the Mirataz® product portfolio from Kindred Biosciences. The addition of Mirataz, the first and only FDA and EMA approved transdermal medication for the management of weight loss in cats, significantly enhances the Dechra portfolio and is fully complementary to its existing product offering to veterinarians.
Company
July 2020
Dechra acquires worldwide rights to the Osurnia product portfolio
Dechra acquired the worldwide rights of the Osurnia product portfolio from Elanco Animal Health Incorporated (Elanco) for a total consideration of USD135.0 million. The addition of Osurnia to the Dechra dermatology portfolio will significantly enhance its presence in this key therapeutic area.
Company
February 2021
Increased investment in Medical Ethics Pty Ltd and Exclusive Licensing Agreement
Dechra secured the rights to market Tri-Solfen® in Australia and New Zealand and has acquired a further 1.5% of the issued share capital of Medical Ethics Pty Ltd for a total consideration of AUD$ 32.5 million (£18.1 million). This now provides Dechra the rights to sell Tri-Solfen, an important pain management product, in all international markets.
Company
July 2021
Dechra acquires the rights to Isoflurane® and Sevoflurane®
The rights to Isoflurane® and Sevoflurane® for the US market were acquired from Halcarbon Life Sciences LLC for USD12.0 million
Company
September 2021
Dechra acquires the rights to ProVet APM ™ and ProVet BMC systems
The rights to ProVet APC™ and ProVet BMC systems were acquired from Hassinger Biomedical and DSM Medical for USD4.0 million (£3.0 million) for the US market
Company
October 2021
Dechra acquires the rights to Rompun®
The rights to Rompun® (xylazine injection) and Butorphanol Tartrate injection were acquired from Elanco™ Animal Health for USD4.0 million (£3.0 million) for the US market
Company
October 2021
Dechra acquires the rights to Sucromate ™ Equine
The rights to Sucromate™ Equine sterile suspension were acquired from Thorn Bioscience LLC for USD9.0 million (£6.5 million) for the US market
Company
January 2022
Dechra acquires worldwide rights to verdinexor for dogs
Dechra acquired the worldwide rights to verdinexor, a novel treatment of all forms and stages of canine lymphoma in dogs for an initial payment of USD19.0 million (£14.0 million). There are subsequent milestone payments totalling USD 45.5 million (£33.5 million) due on the achievement of various approval and sales milestones for the product in the USA, UK, EU, Brazil, Australia, Japan and Canada.
Company
July 2022
Dechra acquires Piedmont Animal Health LLC (US) (Company)
on 25 July 2022, the Group acquired 100% of the share capital of Piedmont Animal Health, Inc. (Piedmont) for US$210.0 million (£175.0 million) in cash. Piedmont is an established product development business with a strong track record of developing products for multinational animal health companies.
Company
August 2022
Dechra acquires Med-Pharmex Holdings Inc (US) (Company)
On 26 August 2022, the Group acquired 100% of the share capital of the Med-Pharmex Holdings, Inc. group of companies (Med-Pharmex) for US$260.0 million (£221.5 million) in cash. Med-Pharmex is an established platform business with manufacturing, product development and regulatory capabilities, and has several products already approved and being sold in the US market.
Company