For 22 years, pharma manufacturer and service company AmerisourceBergen has been the bane of pharma journalists with its very long-winded and bolt-on name, but, at last, our fingers can get a rest.
Its name was formed all the way back in 2001 as a direct result of the merger of AmeriSource Health Corporation and Bergen Brunswig Corporation, very much like GlaxoSmithKline amid its 2000 merger deal between Glaxo Wellcome with SmithKline Beecham.
Following the U.K. Big Pharma, which last year culled GlaxoSmithKline in favor of just GSK, AmerisourceBergen is also cutting down and now officially becoming Cencora after first announcing the change at the start of the year.
Cencora now starts trading under the new ticker symbol “COR” on the New York Stock Exchange, unifying the company’s 46,000 staffers, including its charity organization and venture fund, under the one new and much simpler brand.
“The new name underscores Cencora’s experience and vision when it comes to connecting manufacturers, providers, pharmacies and patients, and ensuring the consistent, reliable flow of treatments to those who need them at a time of growing complexity,” the company explained in a press release.
As part of the change, it has also switched the name of the Cencora Impact Foundation, formerly known as the AmerisourceBergen Foundation, and handed over $5 million in donations to the not-for-profit.
AB Health Ventures, the company’s corporate venture fund, has also changed its name to—you guessed it—Cencora Ventures.
“Today is a significant and exciting milestone for Cencora. Our new name is a reminder of our customers, their patients, and our team members who are at the center of everything we do,” said Steven Collis, chairman, president and CEO of Cencora, in the release.
“It represents the healthier futures we strive for serving as a trusted industry partner that prioritizes innovation, advocates for patient access, and advances strategic partnerships across the global pharmaceutical value chain.”
Earlier this year, the company launched a new Cell and Gene Therapy (CGT) Integration Hub focused on speeding up the exchange of real-time data in CGT with the goal of aiding development and ultimately getting next-gen treatments to patients.