Moroccan businesswoman Lamia Tazi’s Sothema targets CIALIS assets from Eli Lilly

Sothema Group, Morocco’s leading pharmaceutical company led by Lamia Tazi is preparing for one of its most ambitious moves yet as it looks to acquire the assets linked to the CIALIS brand from U.S. drugmaker Eli Lilly, the nearly $1 trillion pharmaceutical giant.

Sothema strengthens specialized therapy offerings

The move, now going through formal approval, centers on the rights tied to the erectile-dysfunction medication rather than the company behind it. If cleared, the deal would give Sothema a product with global recognition and deepen its reach in a competitive market.

For Lamia Tazi who serves as Sothema’s CEO and chairperson the potential purchase fits into a strategic push to widen the company’s range of treatments and strengthen its presence across Africa. CIALIS remains one of the best-known prescriptions in its category, and adding it to the group’s portfolio would allow Sothema to offer a wider mix of specialized therapies while improving supply for patients who often face limited access to branded options.

Ensuring regional access to essential and specialized treatments

Sothema under Tazi, one of Morocco’s top business leaders, produces 60 million pharmaceutical units each year and works with 35 multinational laboratories. Its distribution network covers Europe, the Maghreb, Sub-Saharan Africa and the Gulf region, underscoring its importance as a supplier in markets where demand is rising.

Tazi, who owns an 8.4 percent stake, has pushed the company toward steady expansion while keeping a focus on local manufacturing. That strategy became clearer earlier this year when Sothema acquired 99.99 percent of local producer of hemodialysis solutions, Soludia Maghreb, in a move aimed at improving Morocco’s production capacity in dialysis care and ensuring that hospitals and clinics across the region have reliable access to essential treatments.

Sothema’s recent deals boost regional and global competitiveness

Soludia Maghreb is projected to post MAD360 million ($40 million) in revenue next year with expected EBITDA of MAD90 million ($10 million). The deal also includes a potential earn-out of MAD95 million ($10.5 million), depending on performance. Sothema expects the acquisition to boost Soludia’s competitiveness in West Africa and the Middle East, where demand for dialysis services continues to grow.

Together, the Soludia purchase and the planned CIALIS asset acquisition show a company positioning itself for long-term growth. Tazi’s approach has been to fold in businesses and products that strengthen supply, expand patient access and build partnerships that last. If the CIALIS agreement is approved, it would mark another step in Sothema’s effort to widen its footprint while keeping production and distribution anchored close to home.