Suntory buys Daiichi Sankyo units

Suntory Holdings said Wednesday it will buy Daiichi Sankyo Healthcare for an expected ¥246.5 billion, expanding deeper into over-the-counter medicines and health products. (suntory.com) Daiichi Sankyo said it signed a stock transfer agreement with Suntory on April 15, 2026, to sell all shares of the unit in stages rather than in a single closing. The first transfer is set for June 2026, when Suntory will acquire 30 percent. (daiichisankyo.com) Daiichi Sankyo said Suntory is expected to raise its stake to 70 percent in June 2027 and complete the purchase of the remaining shares by June 2029. Suntory said the deal will make Daiichi Sankyo Healthcare a subsidiary and strengthen its health and wellness business. (daiichisankyo.com) The asset changing hands is one of Japan’s better-known consumer healthcare businesses. Daiichi Sankyo Healthcare sells brands including Loxonin pain relievers, Lulu cold medicines, Gaster 10 stomach drugs, Minon skin-care products and Transino products. (suntory.com) Suntory said it wants the acquisition to add product breadth, research and development capability and sales reach in self-care, the part of healthcare where consumers buy medicines and wellness products without a hospital visit. The company already operates supplements and health foods alongside its drinks and alcohol businesses. (suntory.com) Daiichi Sankyo said the sale will let it concentrate management resources on innovative drug development. In its announcement, the company said it wants to accelerate the creation of new medicines, especially in oncology, its cancer-drug business. (daiichisankyo.com) Japanese media cast the deal as a portfolio shift at both companies. Yomiuri said Suntory is seeking growth beyond a domestic liquor market with limited expansion, while Sakigake reported that Suntory aims to reinforce its health-related operations through the purchase. (yomiuri.co.jp, sakigake.jp) The timetable means the brands on drugstore shelves are changing owners slowly, but the strategic split is immediate: Suntory is buying scale in consumer health, and Daiichi Sankyo is cashing out to fund prescription-drug research. (daiichisankyo.com, suntory.com)