By Neil Trainis

Bestway Group, the owners of Well Pharmacy, has today announced it has acquired the wholesalers Lexon UK and Asurex Limited.

Bestway insisted it will notify the Competition and Markets Authority about the deal which it told Independent Community Pharmacist also includes the acquisition of Key Pharmaceuticals, Dispex, PharmData and all the Norchem pharmacies.

“Both parties have proactively engaged with the CMA in pre-notification discussions and look forward to continuing to do so productively during the CMA review period,” Bestway said in a statement in which it also described Lexon as “a specialist developer and manufacturer of generic pharmaceuticals and a data and solutions provider to pharmacy.”

Bestway did not say if Lexon’s 42-strong Knights Pharmacy chain will be rebranded as Well pharmacies.

Bestway Group’s chief financial officer Haider Choudrey said the deal will help Well "augment our growth momentum and bring in even greater benefits to both community pharmacies and patients.”

“Well Pharmacy had been searching for a target to expand its footprint and complement its growth trajectory and we are confident that Lexon fits this criterion,” he said.

Well CEO Seb Hobbs said: “We’re delighted to be welcoming the 1,200 strong team at Lexon and Asurex to Well and the broader Bestway family, and are excited at the chance to grow our business to support even more customers and patients than ever before.

“We know that Lexon share our ethos as a values-orientated family business and that by bringing together our expertise we will be able to grow all aspects of our business by building on each other’s strengths.

“These are incredibly challenging times for community pharmacy, so we’re really pleased to be able to have an opportunity to show our commitment to the sector, now and into the future.”

Bestway said Lexon managing director Anup Sodha will remain in his role while Knights Pharmacy commercial director Anand Sodha will stay “within the business to ensure the smooth integration of all the Norchem Pharmacies into the Well group.”

Bestway also said Nimesh Sodha, who has been a Lexon director, “will continue to lead Key Pharmaceuticals.”