Pharma BD Deal Intelligence

Schering-Plough Corp. / Organon International

2007 · Acquisition/Merger · $14.4B · Complete

An expensive rescue that became a takeover invitation: Schering-Plough paid $14.4B for Organon BioSciences, landing NuvaRing, Remeron, Intervet animal health, and the sugammadex pipeline—but the debt load left it exposed, and Merck absorbed Schering-Plough itself just two years later.

CALLED IT — OFF BY 7

Expensive acquisition loaded Schering-Plough with debt making it a Merck takeover target

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Top 25 largest deals of the 2000s

Ranks computed across 828 graded deals (Critic + Outcome Score both present).

The coverage arc

Nov 19, 2007 BioSpace Bullish

Schering-Plough completed its $14.43 billion acquisition of Organon BioSciences from Akzo Nobel, combining portfolios to strengthen human and animal health…

Jan 22, 2016 Wikipedia Neutral

Schering-Plough acquired Organon for $14.5B.

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Schering-Plough Corporation acquired Organon BioSciences N.V. from Akzo Nobel for approximately $14.4 billion (EUR 11 billion) in cash, gaining a pharmaceutical business (Organon) with $3.4 billion in 2006 sales, an animal health business (Intervet), and late-stage pipeline assets in women's health and CNS.

Key facts

Disease & market context

Women's Health / Fertility

6.1M US cases/yr · $8.0B Global Women's Health Market (2007)

Disease Overview

Contraception and fertility care are core pillars of women's health. Modern contraception spans barrier methods, hormonal methods (combined and progestin-only pills, vaginal rings, transdermal patches, injectables), long-acting reversible contraceptives (subdermal implants and IUDs), and sterilization. Assisted reproductive technology relies on ovarian stimulation using exogenous follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) analogs to recruit multiple follicles for in vitro fertilization and related fertility treatments.

Deal Context

Schering-Plough's $14.4B acquisition of Organon BioSciences from Akzo Nobel added women's health and CNS franchises plus five Phase III compounds. The deal made Schering-Plough itself an attractive takeover target, leading to Merck's $41B acquisition of Schering-Plough in 2009.

Deal timeline

Related deals — scored

DealYearValueOutcome
Schering-Plough Corp. / Organon International (this deal)2007$14.4B56
Schering-Plough Corp. / Organon & Co.2007$14.4B48
Schering-Plough Corp. / Organon BioSciences N.V. (Akzo Nobel)2007$14.5B48
Schering-Plough Corp. / NeoGenesis Pharmaceuticals200530
Novartis AG / Advanced Accelerator Applications S.A.2017$3.9B98
Allergan plc / Merck & Co., Inc. (CGRP receptor antagonist program)2015$250M91
Cephalon Inc. / Laboratoire L. Lafon S.A. (Group Lafon)2000$450M89

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