Zydus Lifesciences eyes acquisition of US firm Ardelyx for $2.5 billion
Mumbai: Ahmedabad-based Zydus Lifesciences is considering buying a majority stake in US-based Ardelyx Inc. and the value of the deal is likely to be $2.2-2.5 billion, two people aware of the development said. Mint.
The proposed transaction will be financed through a fund ₹5,000 crore equity capital raising through qualified institutional placement (QIP) and internal cash accruals, sources said. The deal, if concluded, will significantly accelerate Zydus’ entry into the global innovative medicine space, which is attracting increasing interest from Indian pharmaceutical manufacturers.
Ardelyx is a biopharmaceutical company that develops world-class small molecule medicines and commercializes new drugs focused primarily on gastrointestinal (GI) and cardio-renal diseases where there are significant unmet patient needs. The company’s market capitalization on Nasdaq is $1.7 billion as of January 20. It reported revenue of $378 million in 2025, up 18%.
Email inquiries to Zydus Lifesciences and Ardelyx remained unanswered by the time of publication.
Zydus expanded its global footprint with smaller acquisitions last year as it aims to diversify beyond generics. In 2025, it acquired two U.S. biologics contract development and manufacturing facilities from Agenus Inc. for $75 million down payment plus conditional payments. The deal allowed the firm to enter biologics manufacturing and establish a presence in a major biotechnology hub in California, expand its CDMO (contract development and manufacturing organization) business, and enhance its ability to serve global biotechnology customers.
Zydus also marked its medtech push and expanded its presence in Europe’s healthtech space by acquiring a 100% stake in French medical device manufacturer Amplitude Surgical for approximately €300 million in October 2025.
The company’s net cash amount as of March 31, 2025 ₹4,883.6 crore.
This development was reported following a takeover offer by rival pharma Sun Pharmaceutical for US-based women’s health and general medicine maker Organon, which could potentially be valued at $10 billion. The news broke as follows: Economic Times on Monday, quoting sources. In an exchange filing on Monday, Sun Pharma called the report “speculative in nature.”
Mint It had earlier reported how Indian pharma companies’ innovation bets will accelerate in 2026 as opportunities in the US generic market diminish due to ongoing price pressure.
