Clifford Chance advised the Japanese Denka-Group on its acquisition of Icon Genetics GmbH, Halle, Germany. The vendor was Nomad Bioscience GmbH, Munich. The purchase price amounts to up to EUR 75 million.

Denka with its headquarters in Tokyo is a globally acting group which specialises on raw materials, electronics and the growth sector pharmaceuticals where it focuses on vaccines and diagnostics.

Icon Genetics is a research and development company which specialises on the development of vaccines in particular against the Norovirus as well as other pathogens.

Denka will initially take over 51% of the Icon Genetics shares and the remainder in 2017. In parallel to the acquisition, both enterprises have concluded a cross-license agreement.

The team of Clifford Chance under the joint lead of partner Tatsuhiko Kamiyama (Corporate, Tokyo) and partner Dr. Thomas Stohlmeier (Corporate, Düsseldorf) included senior associates Masafumi Shikakura (Corporate, Tokyo) and Christian Hübner (Corporate, Düsseldorf), associates Yvonne Zhong (Corporate/Tokyo) and Dr. Jochen Buckel (Corporate, Düsseldorf) as well as partner Dr. Claudia Milbradt, senior associate Dr. Alexandra Diehl and associate Florian Reiling (all IP/Litigation, Düsseldorf).