One drug firm received fees over €225m from the HSE through the executive’s High Tech Drugs and Medicines scheme in 2014, new figures show.

New figures show that three units of Irish-based drug giant UDG Healthcare received payments totalling over €112m from the HSE in 2013.

UDG Healthcare is actively looking at further bolt-on acquisition prospects to boost its contract sales outsourcing business in the US.

Irish-based diversified healthcare services group UDG Healthcare will continue its acquisition-led growth strategy, after seeing recent purchases contribute to a bumper set of annual results.

UDG Healthcare has raised more than €80m for deleveraging and further investment purposes through the sale of its share of a UK-based drug distribution business.

UDG Healthcare has expanded the capabilities of its global healthcare communications division via an €18m acquisition of a public relations firm.

UDG Healthcare has significantly upped its earnings forecast for its current financial year, on the back of a strong first-half showing.

One of the country’s largest employers, EMC, had a series of new customer wins, including the Department of Education and Eircom over the past year, according to its latest quarterly accounts.

Diversified medical services group UDG Healthcare, headquartered in Dublin, has reached agreement to sell its non-core unlicensed medicines business to an American buyer for nearly €29m.

Management bonuses at UDG Healthcare were cut by nearly 60% last year, despite the group delivering a strong financial performance.

In the year that Ireland finally exited the bailout, John Daly looks back at some of the big news stories from the business world in 2013.

Diversified healthcare services group UDG Healthcare is confident of maintaining recent growth momentum after delivering figures at the top end of its guidance range for its latest financial year.

It is believed that Grafton will be placed around 200 when the company is listed on the London Stock Exchange, which means that it is eligible for inclusion in the FTSE 250.

The person hired by the Irish Stock Exchange to promote Irish companies listing on the exchange has left the position after seven months.

Dublin-based international healthcare services group, United Drug will formally change its name to UDG Healthcare by the end of next month, following receipt of shareholder approval for the identity switch yesterday.

United Drug has announced it intends to keep the euro as its reporting currency, despite its shares now being listed in London.

United Drug has reached agreement to buy Spanish company Expansis for a maximum consideration of €12m.

The Irish Stock Exchange reported a 35% increase in 2012 pre-tax profit to €6.3m, driven by cost savings over the 12-month period.

United Drug is planning to rebrand as UDG Healthcare later this year, with the new trading name acting as an umbrella for the group’s growing number of subsidiaries.

As Ireland slowly emerges from a five-year period of economic strife, it is vital that policymakers, industry participants, and political thought leaders turn their minds to optimising our recovery.

DCC is moving its stock listing to London and cancelling its membership of the Irish Stock Exchange following a review.

United Drug has said that it remains open to the option of resuming a listing on the Irish Stock Exchange.

United Drug, the expansion-focused Irish healthcare group, says it could comfortably spend €50m per year on acquisitions as it broadens its international footprint.

Uniphar, the Irish-owned pharmaceutical wholesale and distribution company, has reached agreement to buy aspects of fellow Dublin-based firm Cahill May Roberts for €50m.

The number of merger and acquisition (M&A) deals increased by 10% in the first nine months of 2012 but the value of the deals completed fell, the NCB Corporate Finance M&A Tracker Survey found.

United Drug aims to double its earnings over the next five years, while increasing the growing internationalisation of its business.

The Iseq Index lost ground yesterday after finishing the previous week strongly as world markets responded well to aggressive moves by the US Federal Reserve to tackle unemployment.

United Drug will delist from the Irish Stock Exchange on Oct 3 in order to have all its shares traded through the London Stock Exchange in a bid to gain admission to the FTSE UK Index.

European markets rallied yesterday after ECB president Mario Draghi announced details of the bank’s plan to launch a new, potentially unlimited bond-buying programme to assist struggling eurozone countries in tackling their borrowing costs.

Ireland-based healthcare services group United Drug has today announced it will shift its primary stock market listing to London from Dublin.

Irish healthcare services group United Drug has continued its busy summer of acquisitions by purchasing two US-based companies for a combined consideration of up to $40 million (€32m).

Shares in Dublin were on the decline once again as markets await further news of intervention by the ECB in tackling the eurozone debt crisis.

The Iseq Index continued to fall a further 14.6 points to 3148.4 as German leaders provided little in the way of support for extending Greece’s time to implement its reforms, while also throwing some doubt on its support of a deal for Ireland in relation to its banking debt.

European markets were positive across the board yesterday as speculation surrounding bond rescue plans and hints that a further Chinese stimulus package may be unveiled boosted investor appetite.

United Drug is set to strengthen its packaging and speciality services division with the $61m (€49.5m) cash acquisition of the US and European operations of Indian healthcare services giant, Bilcare Ltd.

The Irish Stock Exchange has managed a decent start to the year, but news that another top Irish company is considering switching its listing to London could prove a headache for chief executive Deirdre Somers, says John Daly

Looked at in isolation, the announcement by United Drug that it is exploring the possibility of delisting from the Irish Stock Exchange and moving to the London Stock Exchange makes perfect sense.

The Irish healthcare services firm United Drug announced yesterday in a trading update that it is looking at delisting from the Irish Stock Exchange to move its main listing to the London Stock Exchange.

United Drug is considering de-listing its shares from the Irish Stock Exchange, it emerged this morning.

United Drug has acquired the contract sales arm of German healthcare and pharmaceutical company Celesio, for €35m.

Shares in Dublin advanced 57.8 points to 3120.7 in line with most European bourses following ECB president Mario Draghi’s pledge to take whatever action is necessary to prevent a collapse of the eurozone.

United Drug has today announced that it has reached agreement to acquire logistics firm Pharmexx GmbH for €35m.

Merger and acquisition activity grew by 17.6% during the second quarter of 2012, according to the latest NCB Corporate Finance M&A Tracker Survey.

International stock markets rebounded yesterday after Italy ended a successful bond auction, despite suffering a two- notch credit downgrade by ratings agency Moody’s.