Medicines wholesaler Alliance Healthcare and its US parent company Amerisource Bergan have announced plans to rebrand as Cencora, with the change set to be fully embedded in the second half of this year.

The move, which was announced on Tuesday (January 24), was described as an attempt to reflect Amerisource Bergen’s “bold vision and purpose-driven approach to creating healthier futures,” with the name “inspired by customers and team members around the world”.

The company said having a “shared identity” for the global business would “create a more inclusive experience for employees as well as a stronger employer brand to attract talent and increase employee loyalty, retention, and performance”.

Alliance Healthcare managing director Marie Evans said: “Since Alliance Healthcare joined AmerisourceBergen, we have been able to expand, evolve, and innovate on each other’s best-in-class expertise and capabilities across the pharmaceutical supply chain.

“Aligning under a new brand experience will further enable us to build new services, support healthcare advancements around the world, and deliver quality service for customers even more effectively as one, united organisation. Together, our teams are working with a collective determination to create a meaningful impact across healthcare.”

Amerisource Bergen chief executive Steven H. Collis said: “Over time, we have established ourselves as a trusted industry partner that prioritizes innovation, advocates for patient access and advances strategic partnerships across the global pharmaceutical supply chain.

“To further bolster our position, we must continue to adapt and evolve within our dynamic industry as we pursue the goal of enhancing health outcomes. Building a unified brand is fundamental to our identity as a global healthcare company. We believe our new name better reflects who we are today and our impact across pharmaceutical care.”