Advent International, a private equity firm focused on buyouts of companies, announced on September 11 that it sold Zentiva to GTCR.
Zentiva is a leading European generics pharmaceutical company with a focus on developing, producing and delivering affordable medicines to more than 100 million people in more than 30 countries across Europe and beyond. Zentiva has four wholly owned manufacturing sites and a broad network of external manufacturing partners to ensure supply security.
Founded in 1980, GTCR is a private equity firm focused on investing in growth companies in the business and consumer services, financial services and technology, healthcare and technology and media and telecommunications industries. GTCR has invested more than $30 billion in more than 290 companies, and the firm currently manages more than $50 billion in equity capital.
Since acquiring Zentiva from Sanofi in 2018, Advent has worked closely with the management team to transform the business, whilst investing to expand Zentiva’s portfolio of medicines and manufacturing footprint, both organically and through targeted M&A. The transaction is subject to customary regulatory approvals and its closing is expected to take place in early 2026.
Advent was advised by Goldman Sachs and PJT Partners as lead financial advisors and Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer LLP as lead legal advisor. GTCR was advised by Barclays Bank PLC, acting through its Investment Bank, and BNP Paribas as lead financial advisors, Morgan Stanley & Co. LLC as a financial advisor and Kirkland & Ellis LLP as legal advisor. Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.
According to data captured in the LevinPro HC database, this marks the 35th Pharmaceuticals acquisition of 2025. Throughout 2024, 66 Pharmaceutical transactions were announced. This also marks GTCR’s first acquisition of the year.
