Suntory Holdings to Acquire Daiichi Sankyo Healthcare

Tokyo, April 15 (Jiji Press)–Japanese beverage group Suntory Holdings Co. said Wednesday that it will acquire over-the-counter drug maker Daiichi Sankyo Healthcare Co. for 246.5 billion yen. Suntory Holdings will purchase shares in Daiichi Sankyo Healthcare from its parent, Daiichi Sankyo Co., in stages to make it a wholly owned subsidiary. The beverage firm is aiming to expand its healthcare-related business, which includes pharmaceuticals, amid sluggish growth in the domestic alcoholic beverage market. Daiichi Sankyo Healthcare offers well-known OTC drug brands, such as the Loxonin analgesic and antipyretic drug and the Lulu cold remedy. It posted revenue of 86.7 billion yen for the year ended March 2025. Daiichi Sankyo decided to focus its management resources on its mainstay prescription drugs for cancer treatment, as OTC drugs are less profitable than pharmaceuticals such as the Enhertu cancer therapy. Sales at Suntory Holdings from non-mainstay operations including healthcare foods totaled 323.4 billion yen in the year through December 2025. “We want to create new value that supports customers through cooperation with Daiichi Sankyo Healthcare, which has a strong brand foundation and high-level expertise,” Suntory Holdings President Nobuhiro Torii said in a statement. END [Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]