USA health industry: Cigna acquires Express Scripts

A new multi-billion acquisition in the American health industry.

This time Cigna, the health insurance giant, is the protagonist, with the acquisition of Express Scripts Holding, the pharmacy benefits manager and pharmaceutical services company, with business worth 4 thousand billion USD. The operation is costing Cigna 52 billion USD, plus another 15 billion to cover Express Scripts' debt.

The changes in the USA health industry are evident from the increasing number of transactions between the industry's major players, especially with the entry of Amazon into the ring, which promises to intensify competition. In 2015, Cigna made an attempt to purchase its rival Anthem, but the merger was derailed by the antitrust authority. Last year, on the other hand, pharmacy and assistance services giant CVS acquired Aetna for around 70 billion USD, while in recent weeks, Walgreens Boots Alliance launched negotiations to acquire AmerisourceBergen, the leading pharmaceuticals wholesaler.

The combination of hospitals and clinics is increasing, a sector worth 3,300 billion USD annually. Meanwhile, Apple, Alphabet and Uber are also readying major upcoming projects.