TAS Group intends to buy the pharmacy business of the Kosmo retail chain by the end of the first quarter of 2019.

According to a press release from TAS Group, AtlasAdvisors investment company acted as a financial adviser to Kosmo shareholders on the sale of the pharmacy business.

Andriy Didenko was invited to introduce new software in the united network of TAS pharmacies. He has successful experience in introducing modern IT technologies in the Kosmo pharmacy network.

TAS Pharma LLC told Interfax-Ukraine that the company plans to expand its network to 400-500 pharmacies by 2021.

At the same time, by the end of 2019, the company expects the Ukrainian pharmaceutical market would grow by 11% in monetary terms and by 1% in kind compared to 2018.

As Head of the supervisory board of the Kosmo network Serhiy Bartoschuk told Interfax-Ukraine, the company also plans to sell part of the business of the Kosmo retail chain, represented by drogerie stores. According to the official website, it includes 107 outlets.

"We are negotiating with all the players interested in this," Bartoschuk said, adding that there is not yet a specific decision on the sale of the stores that could be officially announced.

Currently, the TAS network of pharmacies includes 114 pharmacies, 71 of which are located in Kyiv.

The pharmacy business of the Kosmo retail chain, controlled by SigmaBleyzer, has 28 drugstores in Kyiv and Kyiv region.

TAS Group was founded in 1998. It has assets in financial and industrial sectors, agriculture, real estate, pharmaceuticals and venture projects. The founder and main shareholder of the group is Sergiy Tigipko.