Pharma BD Deal Intelligence

Cardinal Health Inc. / Syncor International Corporation

2003 · Acquisition/Merger · $760M · Complete

CALLED IT — OFF BY 7

A scandal-discounted price bought Cardinal a durable, now-core nuclear pharmacy franchise — but the deal is remembered as much for its FCPA precedent as its commercial success.

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The coverage arc

Jun 14, 2002 Cardinal Health / Syncor joint announcement press release (SEC Form 425) Bullish

This acquisition provides Cardinal Health with a leadership presence in the high-growth and profitable nuclear pharmacy business... Cardinal Health expects the…

Jan 02, 2003 AuntMinnie Neutral

Cardinal Health closed the Syncor deal Jan. 1, 2003 — value reduced from ~$1.1B to ~$760M after Cardinal uncovered questionable Syncor overseas payments;…

Sep 01, 2014 Life Science Leader Bullish

Cardinal placed a substantial bet on radiopharmaceuticals in 2002, purchasing Syncor in a deal worth just over $1B and gaining manufacturing, nuclear-pharmacy…

Source summaries from our enrichment pipeline; follow links for originals.

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Closed January 1, 2003. Originally ~$1.1B, reduced to ~$760M after Syncor fraud disclosure. Made Cardinal #1 in nuclear pharmacy services. 0.47 share-exchange ratio. Sources: AuntMinnie, FTC, Pharmaceutical Commerce.

Did it work? Outcome assessment

A scandal-discounted price bought Cardinal a durable, now-core nuclear pharmacy franchise — but the deal is remembered as much for its FCPA precedent as its commercial success.

Strategic verdict
Achieved Stated Rationale

Key facts

Related deals — scored

DealYearValueOutcome
Cardinal Health Inc. / Syncor International Corporation (this deal)2003$760M74
Eli Lilly and Company / Applied Molecular Evolution Inc.2003$400M88
Takeda Pharmaceutical Company Ltd. / Millennium Pharmaceuticals2003$8.8B82
Genzyme Corporation / SangStat Medical Corporation2003$600M78
Takeda Pharmaceutical Company Ltd. / Ariad Pharmaceuticals2003$5.2B77
IDEC Pharmaceuticals Corporation / Biogen Inc.2003$6.5B77
Johnson & Johnson / Crucell NV2003$2.4B75

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