Cencora partners with Curant Rare on rare disease commercialization, adds Lincoln Financial CEO to board
Cencora partnered with Curant Rare to integrate pharmaceutical logistics, market access and specialty pharmacy services, aiming to streamline commercialization and accelerate launch of rare and orphan disease therapies. It also elected Ellen Cooper, Lincoln Financial’s CEO, as independent board director effective January 20, 2026, to strengthen its risk management expertise.
1. Cencora Adds Industry Veteran Ellen Cooper to Board
On January 20, 2026, Cencora’s Board of Directors welcomed Ellen Cooper as an independent director. Cooper brings more than two decades of financial and risk-management expertise, most recently as Chairman, President and CEO of Lincoln Financial since May 2022. Previously she served as EVP and Chief Investment Officer at Lincoln, and as Global Head of Insurance Strategy at Goldman Sachs Asset Management. Her appointment underscores Cencora’s focus on bolstering board expertise in regulated industries. Board Chair Mark Durcan noted that Cooper’s strategic acumen and experience in complex risk environments will support Cencora’s long-term sustainable growth.
2. Strategic Collaboration to Accelerate Rare Disease Therapy Commercialization
Cencora has entered a collaboration with Curant Rare to provide an integrated commercialization platform for rare and orphan drug developers. Leveraging Cencora’s global pharmaceutical logistics network—drawn from its 51,000-member workforce and more than $300 billion in annual revenue—and Curant Rare’s specialty pharmacy and omnichannel patient-engagement tools, the partnership aims to streamline regulatory compliance, market access and supply-chain execution. Executives project that this initiative will reduce time-to-therapy by up to 20%, improve adherence metrics in ultra-rare populations and expand Cencora’s commercial services footprint in a segment projected to grow at over 10% annually.