Vivecti Group and Sana Einkauf und Logistik (Sana SEL) withdrew their merger notification, filed on 25 February 2026, after the German competition authority raised substantive concerns in late June. The parties proposed commitments, but the authority considered them insufficient to offset the likely loss of competition. After announcing on 3 November 2026 that it intended to decide the case soon, the authority saw the parties withdraw the filing two days later.

Vivecti and Sana SEL are by a substantial margin Germany’s leading purchasing cooperatives in the healthcare sector. They aggregate demand from hospitals and other healthcare providers and negotiate framework agreements and purchasing terms with manufacturers and suppliers. Hospitals need more than 10,000 products, particularly medical supplies, and must contract with many suppliers. Participating institutions can then buy products directly from manufacturers and distributors on the negotiated terms. The cooperatives generally receive a supplier fee linked to sales, known as an admin fee.

Together, the companies account for well over 50% of the procurement volume for medical supplies purchased by healthcare providers under terms negotiated through purchasing cooperatives. The authority described these services as platform markets shaped by economies of scale and network effects. These features can create a self-reinforcing cycle that makes it difficult for smaller competitors to keep pace with very large providers.

The authority’s president said the merger would have substantially weakened competition. Although larger purchasing volumes can produce better terms, excessive buyer power may harm suppliers and weaken innovation competition, particularly in innovative fields such as medical technology. The authority also questioned whether any benefits would reach hospitals or instead accrue mainly to the owners of the purchasing service providers. Smaller hospitals, often municipally owned and unable to organize procurement themselves, could face higher costs. The authority emphasized the importance of preserving sufficient competition between purchasing service providers.

Vivecti, controlled by private-equity investor Nordic Capital, provides various healthcare services and operates as a purchasing cooperative through its subsidiary Prospitalia. Sana SEL belongs to Sana Kliniken AG, Germany’s third-largest private hospital group, which also operates numerous medical care centres. Sana Kliniken AG is owned by several private health insurers.