The Economic Times was the first to report earlier this year that Mumbai-based Sun Pharma was closing in on the $12 billion acquisition of Organon, a debt-ridden US company specialising in women’s health that was spun off from MSD (Merck Sharp & Dohme) in 2021.
Sun Pharma’s acquisition of Organon
In an exchange filing released today, Sun Pharma said it has entered into a definitive agreement with Organon, which it called a global leader in women’s health with a portfolio spanning across 70 products and biosimilars commercialised across 140 countries, with US, Europe, China, Canada, and Brazil among its largest market. The US-based company has six manufacturing facilities across the European Union and emerging markets.
Sun Pharma plans to fund the acquisition through a combination of available cash resources and committed financing from banks. The transaction will be effected by a merger of Organon with a subsidiary of Sun Pharma, with Organon surviving the merger, it added. The said transaction is expected to close in early 2027, subject to customary conditions.
“The proposed acquisition of Organon is aligned with Sun Pharma’s strategy of growing its innovative medicines business. The combined company becomes a stronger player in established brands/branded generics business. The deal also enables Sun Pharma’s entry into biosimilars as a top-10 global player. Organon’s portfolio, global footprint and strong stakeholder relationships shall complement Sun Pharma’s existing strengths and enhance long‑term value creation,” Sun Pharma said.
After the completion of the acquisition of 100% stake, Sun Pharma will become one of the top 25 global pharmaceutical companies with combined revenue of $12.4 billion, a more innovative medicines focussed company with 27% revenue share, one of the top 3 companies in global women’s health category and the seventh largest global biosimilar player, the pharma giant said.
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What the management says
The transaction has been approved by the boards of both the companies, but is subject to customary closing conditions. Speaking about the acquisition, Sun Pharma Executive Chairman Dilip Shanghvi said, “This transaction represents a significant opportunity for Sun Pharma to build on its vision of Reaching People and Touching Lives. Organon’s portfolio, capabilities and global reach are highly complementary to our own, and we believe that bringing the two organizations together can create a stronger and more diversified platform. We have deep respect for Organon’s mission and look forward to building on its legacy while driving sustainable long‑term growth.”
This transaction is a logical next step in strengthening Sun Pharma’s global business, said the company’s managing director Kirti Ganorkar. “Together, we will become a partner of choice for acquiring and launching new products. Our immediate priorities will be business continuity, disciplined integration and responsible value creation. We see strong potential in leveraging Organon’s talent pool. In addition, there is a scope for synergies including significant revenue upside opportunities to be realized over the coming years,” Ganorkar added.
Organon’s Executive Chair Carrie Cox meanwhile said that the US-based company’s board determined that this all‑cash transaction offers compelling and immediate value to Organon stockholders. “We believe Sun Pharma is well positioned to support Organon’s businesses, employees and patients globally, and to further advance our commitment to delivering impactful medicines and solutions,” he added.
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Sun Pharma share price
Notably, Sun Pharma shares tumbled around 10% in one month amid buzz over the bulky acquisition. Organon inherited $9.5 billion of debt during the MSD spinoff and has been facing intense competitive pressure from global drugmakers as well generic suppliers in all three of its broad business segments–women’s health, biosimilars and the established products range, which includes cardiovascular drugs, respiratory and non-opioid pain, bone health and dermatology drugs.
The latest data show Organon reduced debt to $8 billion in calendar 2025. In comparison, Sun has about $3.2 billion (Rs 26,000 crore) of net cash on its balance sheet. The management has said it’s willing to utilise this to fund large acquisitions. In FY26, Sun Pharma clocked sales of Rs 52,000 crore, the US and India contributed almost an equal share of 31-33%. The rest is divided between other markets and active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs).
Last year, Sun Pharma acquired Checkpoint Therapeutics for $355 million upfront, and the deal value reached $416 million. This gave Sun Pharma access to Unloxcyt, an anti-cancer drug. Sales from 11 of its innovative drugs grossed $1.21 billion in the US. Those include ophthalmology, hair loss, dermatology and anti-cancer drugs. Sun Pharma’s largest innovative drug in the US is Ilumya, for the treatment of plaque psoriasis, which saw sales of $681 million last year.
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