Zydus eyes $2.5B Ardelyx bet in US

Zydus Lifesciences may be lining up its biggest overseas move yet. 

The deets: the company is evaluating the acquisition of a majority stake in US-based Ardelyx Inc., with the deal expected to be valued at around $2.2-2.5 billion.

If this goes through, it would strengthen Zydus’s push into innovative medicines, a space Indian drugmakers are increasingly chasing as they look beyond the crowded generics market.

So, what does Ardelyx do: In simple terms, it makes newer medicines for gut-related conditions and kidney and heart-linked diseases. 

This deal also fits Zydus’s broader expansion strategy. In 2025, the company bought two biologics contract development and manufacturing facilities in the US from Agenus Inc., paying $75 million upfront plus additional contingent payments.

That acquisition gave Zydus a foothold in biologics manufacturing and a base in a major biotech hub in California. It also strengthened its ability to serve global biotech clients looking for development and manufacturing partners.