Cegedim on Friday revealed it will soon be walking up the aisle with one-time rival Dendrite in a $751 million cash merger to create one of the world’s biggest players in sales, marketing, clinical and compliance solutions for the pharmaceutical industry, with annual pro forma sales hurdling over the $1 billion mark.

The cost, at $16 per share, represents a 40% premium over Dendrite’s closing stock price over a 20-day trading period before the merger announcement was made, and 25% above the trade price of $12.79 on the Nasdaq on Thursday.

The merger is conditional on being given the thumbs up by Dendrite’s shareholders - though with such a premium being stumped up, one imagines there will be little objection to the deal – and no such approval is required from Cegedim’s shareholders.

The company will operate in 75 countries around the world, including Europe, the Americas and Asia Pacific. Commented Jean-Claude Labrune, Cegedim’s chief: “As a combined organisation, we can achieve an even higher quality of service and will be better able to serve our clients in our competitive global marketplace.”