Duchesnay pharmaceutics sold to one of its employees
L’entreprise pharmaceutique familiale Duchesnay, bien connue pour ses médicaments destinés à la santé des femmes, vient de vendre ses cinq sociétés à l’un de ses employés, Éric Gervais, qui en devient l’actionnaire majoritaire et le nouveau président.
Publié le 11 nov. 2021
Isabelle DubéLa Presse
“With the pandemic, we understood how much we want to become more independent in terms of pharmaceutical production.It is clear that it is a big victory for Quebec to have been able to keep Duchesnay here in Quebec, in Blainville, "said Eric Gervais, former vice-president who became president, with enthusiasm.
Biologist by training, Éric Gervais, who has been working within the company for 29 years, would never have imagined that one day, he would become the owner."It was not in my plans to buy companies that I myself developed with the team," he said.However, when he knew that the Boivin family wanted to get rid of it, Éric Gervais felt that he had no choice.
In a meeting with the senior direction, I said: "It is not true that we will let that go in foreign hands.It’s really a beautiful gem that we have.It is rare, a Quebec pharmaceutical multinational where the head office is here, where all decisions are made here. ”
Éric Gervais, new president of Duchesnay
Blainville also has an important factory for the manufacture of pharmaceutical products with export rights in more than 50 countries.
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The entrepreneur therefore asked for help from the Development Bank of Canada (BDC), which did not hesitate to embark on the project for the acquisition of the five companies: Duchesnay and Duchesnay USA, devoted to the health ofPregnant and menopausal women, Médunik and Medenik USA, specialized in the treatment of rare diseases, and analog pharmacy in that of orphaned drugs.
With other management members, Éric Gervais is getting their hands on Boivin family businesses, active in the pharmaceutical sector since 1955. The Boivin notably founded the company of generic pro-DOC drugs, which they soldto Jean Coutu, in 2007. It was Louis Boivin who acquired the Canadian company Duchesnay in 1970. The five Duchesnay companies were chaired by Pierre Boivin.
New ambitions
In 5 years, the new president intends to increase the turnover from $ 185 million to 350 million, the number of employees from 100 to 150, and exports to more than 50 countries.
“We have a manufacturing plan that is incredible.It’s rare to be approved in the United States, Europe, Singapore and South Korea.We managed to win our letters of nobility at the level of our manufacturing plan, ”he explains.
Income comes 90 % from the women's health sector and 10 % of orphans.Éric Gervais and his team plan to change the game with a third party dedicated to export, a third party to women's health and the last third to orphans.
Ingenious strategy for orphan diseases
It was to develop this last third that Eric Gervais has developed an ingenious development strategy.One of the five companies in the Duchesnay group, Médunik, was created to import European drugs intended to treat rare diseases, but to which Canadians do not have access.
The Canadian market being what it is - only 2 % of the global market - and the European vision of affairs that absolutely want to conclude more lucrative agreements that encompass the entire North America, Éric Gervais had the idea of creating MEDUNIKUSA.
"We have become more credible in the eyes of Europeans, because now we are able to offer a North American adventure.I gave them what they wanted to finally be able to bring innovative drugs to Canada.»»
For the moment, Médunik has three drugs in his wallet while Duchesnay has ten.In 2022, a medication against menopause and another against bacterial vaginosis will be available, then two others in 2023.
