| Key Points: – Mallinckrodt and Endo will combine to form a diversified pharmaceutical powerhouse. – The merger will create a company with $3.6 billion in projected 2025 revenue and $1.2 billion in adjusted EBITDA. – The new entity will focus on branded specialty pharmaceuticals while planning to separate its generics and sterile injectables business. |
Pharmaceutical companies Mallinckrodt and Endo have agreed to merge in a $6.7 billion deal that will create a new powerhouse in the specialty medication market, the companies announced Thursday.
The stock-and-cash transaction, expected to close in the second half of 2025, combines Mallinckrodt’s rare disease portfolio with Endo’s sterile injectables business, positioning the merged entity to compete more effectively in high-margin specialty pharmaceutical segments.
Shares of both companies jumped on the news, with Mallinckrodt stock up 7.2% and Endo shares surging 12.3% in morning trading.
Under the terms of the agreement, Endo shareholders will receive $80 million in cash while maintaining a 49.9% stake in the combined company. Mallinckrodt shareholders will hold the remaining 50.1% interest, with Mallinckrodt serving as the parent company.
The merged firm projects $3.6 billion in revenue for 2025 with $1.2 billion in adjusted EBITDA. Management expects to achieve $150 million in annual cost synergies by the third year post-merger, with $75 million realized in the first year.
Goldman Sachs is providing $900 million in committed financing to support the transaction. The combined company will operate with a net leverage ratio of approximately 2.3x, giving it significant financial flexibility for future growth initiatives.
Siggi Olafsson, CEO of Mallinckrodt, will lead the combined entity. The companies emphasized that the complementary nature of their businesses would maximize operational efficiencies while maintaining focus on innovation.
A key component of the merger strategy involves the eventual separation of the combined sterile injectables and generics businesses. While these operations will initially be integrated, management plans to spin off this unit as a standalone company, pending board approval and market conditions.
The core branded specialty pharmaceuticals business will focus on rare diseases and hospital-based therapies, areas where both companies have established market positions. With 17 manufacturing facilities and 30 distribution centers predominantly in the United States, the company will employ approximately 5,700 people worldwide.
According to Endo’s interim CEO Scott Hirsch, the merger will leverage complementary strengths and create immediate scale advantages in key therapeutic areas. The planned separation of the generics business aims to further sharpen focus on high-growth specialty markets.
The Mallinckrodt-Endo merger comes amid increasing consolidation in the pharmaceutical sector as companies look to gain scale and portfolio diversification.
Analysts at Morgan Stanley noted that the deal makes strategic sense for both companies, particularly given the challenges they’ve faced individually in recent years. The combined entity will have greater resources to invest in R&D and a stronger position in negotiations with payers and hospital systems.
However, some analysts expressed caution about integration risks and the ambitious timeline for the planned business separation. Healthcare analysts at JP Morgan pointed out that executing a merger of this scale while simultaneously preparing for a business spinoff creates significant operational complexity. The management team will need to carefully balance these priorities to deliver the promised synergies.
The combined company will be listed on the New York Stock Exchange following the transaction’s completion.
