Amazon entered the foods market with purchase of Whole Foods, and is now looking to enter the health care market, reports CNBC. According to anonymous sources, the company has had “high-level” talks with pharmaceutical company Milan and the Sandoz division of Novartis. Both of these companies produce large numbers of generic drugs.
CNBC reports that Amazon’s plans at this point are unclear, but one source said that the company is potentially interested in purchasing drugs. Even though this may be the case, this isn’t really new. Previous CNBC reports that Amazon was previously hiring employees in the area, and it also obtained pharmaceutical licenses to sell medical equipment.
It’s also worth mentioning that pharmaceutical companies have expressed heavy interested in willingness to work with Amazon. Many commentators have pointed out that the health care industry is heavily regulated and an incredibly complex market.
Walgreens Boots Alliance CEO Stefan’s Persian recently told Forbes that Amazon “will not come in an industry so complicated as our industry,” and that “Amazon is not a retailer. It is a technology company.” CNBC does point point out a fact from Sandoz that they don’t expect Amazon to become a major player in the area and have a “major impact” on their business.
