Alliance Boots acquires full ownership of UniDrug Distribution Group

Alliance Boots has taken full ownership of UniDrug Distribution Group, formerly a joint venture with UDG Healthcare.

The company has agreed to pay around 66 million pounds for the 50 percent shareholding it did not already own in the pre-wholesale and contract logistics business.

UniDrug Distribution Group is already part of the Alloga pan-European network, an Alliance Boots-owned entity that is one of Europe's leading specialist pre-wholesale and contract logistics providers. The unit will soon be rebranded under the Alloga name.

Ornella Barra, chief executive for wholesale and brands at Alliance Boots, said: "Acquiring full ownership of this successful joint venture will enable us to provide our UK pharmaceutical customers with a broader and more integrated range of flexible pre-wholesaling and contract logistics solutions."

This comes after it was announced earlier this month that Alliance Boots' US partner Walgreens has exercise its option to merge the two companies.

To be completed in the first quarter of 2015, the move will create a new organisation called Walgreens Boots Alliance, which will be the first global pharmacy-led, health and wellbeing enterprise.