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Analysis on Merck's Acquisition of Medco

The reason behind a lot of Mergers & Acquisitions is due to the many changing forces in the business environment. Competitiveness, survival and profitability are key factors to the M&A. In the case of Merck, the plan for acquisition of Medco followed as competitors such as SmithKline Beecham, Roche Holdings Limited Eli Lilly and Company announced their plans to acquire other pharmaceutical companies and Health systems such as those of Diversified Pharmaceutical Services Incorporate, Syntel Corporation and PSC Health Systems, respectively. There still exist concerns on the executive team's side regarding whether or not to move forward with the acquisitions. Some favor the move and some do not. There are concerns about the synergies and integration of a highly research oriented pharmaceutical company such as Merck with a drug marketing company like Medco. In addition, there are concerns on the need to continue increasing the stock price for Merck and about the different business cultures between the two and how they may not mix well. This could result in an expensive failure. On the other hand, the marketing department fully supports the acquisition. The acquisition will provide leverage for marketing opportunities in the managed care area, given the size of the database for Medco. So, the plan is for Merck to acquire Medco for a $6.6 billion offer. Clear and substantive analysis of the M&A is needed for better decision making. Medco is a Benefits Prescription Management Company that manages insurance claims, negotiate discounts with drug manufacturers and encourage the use of less expensive general drugs. Health providers that have ties with Medco, usually use drugs listed on what is called a formulary. The formulary consist of list of drugs to prescribe to customers, in which a team of Medco pharmacist and

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