Pharmaceutical companies are using acquisition to become “pointy,” or more focused.
Two recent examples are Bayer and Merck. Bayer is focusing on over the counter medications by acquiring Merck’s consumer care business for $14.2 billion. On the other hand, Merck has become more streamlined through divestment.
As I’ve mentioned before, although divestment means becoming smaller, it can be pathway to growth. By trimming and pruning your company, you return to your core competencies and can more effectively focus on long-term strategic growth.
Not only are pharmaceuticals becoming pointier, they are also becoming bigger through consolidation. According to Bloomberg, there were $118 billion in healthcare deals announced in April 2014 compared with $175 billion in deals executed in 2013. By acquiring scale pharmaceutical companies can sell more products and have better leverage for negotiating with customers.
