Washington, USA – US pharmaceutical distribution company cencora announced that it has reached an agreement to acquire a controlling stake in cancer care network One Oncology
in a deal with a total value of approximately $5 billion.
This is a step that reinforces its approach to expanding the range
of services provided to cancer treatment clinics.
Opportunities to achieve operational integration in the pharmaceutical sector
The company, which already owns a stake in One Oncology, said it would buy most of the remaining shares.
This is from the investment firm TPG and other shareholders in exchange
for approximately $3.6 billion in cash,
in addition to paying off $1.3 billion in debt owed by One Oncology,
bringing the total cash consideration for the deal to approximately $5 billion.
The deal values One Oncology at approximately $7.4 billion.
cencora also offers opportunities for operational integration
in the specialty pharmaceuticals sector for treating complex conditions such as cancer.
It is a sector characterized by high profit margins and experiencing increasing demand.
Following the announcement, cencora shares rose by about 1% in morning trading.
Last November, the company pledged to invest $1 billion by 2030
to expand its distribution network within the United States.
This is in line with the White House’s calls to boost domestic drug production.
A logical and strong step
Michael Czerny, an analyst at Learnink Partners, said that accelerating the acquisition of One Oncology
This represents a “logical and strong step” to increase cencora
exposure to the origins of rapidly growing tumor treatments.
Lisa Gill, an analyst at JPMorgan, also saw the deal as positive
thanks to the advantages resulting from full ownership of the network.
The deal is expected to be completed by the end of the second
quarter of cencora fiscal year 2026, and will be financed through new debt.
The company confirmed that it was maintaining its earnings forecast
for fiscal year 2026, but noted that it had suspended share buybacks.
This could bring earnings closer to the lower end of the previous
range of $17.45 to $17.75 per share.
In contrast, cencora raised its long-term outlook for adjusted earnings,
expecting One Oncology to contribute
This will enhance its business in the healthcare sector within the United States in the long term.
