Valeant to Sell CeraVe, AcneFree and AMBI Skincare Brands to L'Oreal for $1.3B

Valeant Pharmaceuticals has entered into an agreement to sell its CeraVe, AcneFree and AMBI skincare brands to L'Oréal for $1.3 billion in cash. The CeraVe, AcneFree, and AMBI product lines have annualized revenue of approximately of $168M.

"We are pleased to announce the progress we are making in reshaping our product portfolio and driving value for our shareholders," said Valeant CEO Joseph C. Papa.  "The success of these products, and today's transaction, is a testament to the Valeant teams who have impressively grown these brands over the past several years. We believe these products will benefit even further from the resources and capabilities of a global beauty company like L'Oréal, which is well equipped to build on the success of these brands and expand into new global markets. Our remaining consumer products business is well positioned for continued advancement within Valeant's portfolio."

The CeraVe brand portfolio offers a range of advanced skincare products, including cleansers, moisturizers, sunscreens, healing ointments and a dedicated baby line. Developed with dermatologists, CeraVe is one of the fastest growing skincare brands in the U.S. with average growth over the past two years exceeding 20%.

The AcneFree brand portfolio offers a full range OTC cleansers and acne treatments in the U.S. introduced to the market in 1966.

The AMBI brand portfolio offers a range of skincare products formulated for the needs of multicultural consumers that includes creams, cleansers and moisturizers in the face and body category.

Valeant will use the proceeds from the sale to permanently repay term loan debt under its Senior Credit Facility. The transaction is expected to close in the first quarter of 2017, subject to customary closing conditions, including receipt of applicable regulatory approvals. Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz acted as advisor to Valeant on the transaction.