Cencora vs Cardinal Health
Side-by-side comparison of AI visibility scores, market position, and capabilities
Conshohocken PA pharmaceutical distribution (NYSE: COR, formerly AmerisourceBergen) at $316B+ revenue; Retina Consultants of America acquisition $4.4B (Jan 2025) expanding into specialty physician care competing with McKesson.
About
Cencora, Inc. (formerly AmerisourceBergen, rebranded August 2023) is a Conshohocken, Pennsylvania-based pharmaceutical distribution and healthcare services company — publicly traded on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE: COR) as an S&P 500 Health Care component, ranked #10 on the 2024 Fortune 500 and #24 on the Global Fortune 500 — distributing brand-name, generic, and specialty pharmaceuticals, over-the-counter products, and home healthcare supplies to 110,000+ points of care across 11 countries through 46,000+ employees and $316+ billion in annual revenue. Cencora operates as one of the "Big Three" pharmaceutical wholesalers in the United States alongside McKesson and Cardinal Health, collectively supplying approximately 90%+ of the US pharmaceutical supply chain. The company distributes from 26 US pharmaceutical distribution centers and 1,300+ locations across 50+ countries. In January 2025, Cencora completed the acquisition of approximately 85% interest in Retina Consultants of America (RCA) — a leading management services organization for retina specialists — for $4.4 billion, advancing its strategy to expand from pharmaceutical distribution into specialty physician-administered treatments and the high-growth specialty pharmaceutical services market. Founded through the 2001 merger of AmeriSource Health Corporation and Bergen Brunswig Corporation, with predecessor companies tracing to the 1970s, Cencora adopted its current name (meaning "center, core, heart" in multiple languages) in 2023 to signal the brand's evolution beyond commodity distribution.
Dublin OH pharmaceutical distribution (NYSE: CAH) $230B+ revenue; specialty pharma GLP-1 distribution tailwind, at-Home Solutions growth, medical divestiture to Medline competing with McKesson and Cencora.
About
Cardinal Health, Inc. is a Dublin, Ohio-based healthcare distribution and medical products company — publicly traded on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE: CAH) as an S&P 500 Health Care component — distributing pharmaceutical products to pharmacies, hospitals, and healthcare providers, and manufacturing and distributing medical and surgical supplies through approximately 44,000 employees. In fiscal year 2025 (ending June 2025), Cardinal Health generated revenues exceeding $230 billion in its Pharmaceutical and Specialty Solutions segment — reflecting the company's role as a pass-through distributor of branded and generic pharmaceuticals at near-zero margin on drug cost, where Cardinal Health earns distribution fees and rebate income on enormous volumes. CEO Jason Hollar has executed a two-segment strategy focused on optimizing pharmaceutical distribution (Pharmaceutical and Specialty Solutions — $227B+ revenue at low margin) and growing medical products profitability (Global Medical Products and Distribution — higher-margin branded surgical products, Cardinal Health brand commodities, and at-Home Solutions). The 2024 divestiture of the medical segment's Cardinal Health Brand product line to Medline Industries for $1.1 billion simplified the medical segment focus toward specialty distribution and home healthcare supply. Cardinal Health's specialty pharmaceutical distribution (oncology, rheumatology, rare disease biologics through Cardinal Health Specialty Solutions) is a growing higher-margin subsegment as pharmaceutical manufacturers contract with specialty distributors for controlled dispensing of limited-distribution drugs.
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