Global law firm Freshfields is advising global private equity investor Advent, on the sale of Zentiva, a leading European generics pharmaceutical company, to GTCR.

Since acquiring Zentiva from Sanofi in 2018, Advent has worked closely with the management team to successfully transform the business, whilst investing to expand Zentiva’s portfolio of medicines and manufacturing footprint, both organically and through targeted M&A.

Freshfields advised longstanding client Advent on the acquisition of Zentiva from Sanofi in 2018, and has since advised Zentiva on its acquisitions, among others, of Alvogen’s CEE business in 2019 and its public purchase offer for Apontis Pharma in Germany in 2024.

The Freshfields team advising Advent is led by private capital partners James Scott in London and Stephanie Hundertmark in Berlin, and London-based senior associate Chris Yarrow. Partner Jill Gatehouse and counsel Rose Swaffield are leading on tax aspects, partner Frank Röhling, counsels Mariusz Motyka-Mojkowski and Bertrand Guerin and principal associate Lasse Petersen are advising on antitrust and foreign investment matters, and counsel Philipp Lehman and senior associate Ben Cohen are advising on intellectual property aspects.

The transaction is subject to customary regulatory approvals and closing is expected to take place in early 2026.

Further information on today’s announcement can be found here