Sanofi, Pfizer, Abbott eye Mexican generic drug maker Rimsa

Mexican drug maker Representaciones e Investigaciones Medicas, known as Rimsa, has attracted takeover interest from global drug giants like Sanofi, Pfizer Inc. and Abbott Laboratories, Bloomberg reported on Friday, citing people familiar with the matter

Israel's Teva Pharmaceutical Industries and Japan's Takeda Pharmaceutical Co, are also said to have shown interest, the report said.

Goldman Sachs Group Inc. is managing the sale, which may fetch the owners of the privately-held company as much as $1 billion, the report said.

Mexico City-based Rimsa develops and markets a wide range of prescription pharmaceuticals, over-the-counter drugs. It specialises in osteomuscular, ginecourología, metabolic, dolorgastro-respiratory, and main customers are in the hospital and government sector.

Bloomberg said, "Foreign companies and investors have been pursuing transactions in Mexico's fragmented generic-drug industry. They are seeking to gain exposure to a market where relatively low rates of health-care spending are projected to rise to converge with other emerging markets, including Brazil and Chile.''

Last year, Endo International acquired privately-owned Mexican generic drug maker Grupo Farmaceutico Somar, while private-equity firm General Atlantic took a minority stake in Laboratorios Sanfer.

For Teva, a potential takeover would come after it offered to buy the generic division of Allergan Plc for $40.5 billion and acquired Auspex Pharmaceuticals for $3.2 billion.