New Military Deal for Bergen Brunswig

A unit of drug wholesaler Bergen Brunswig Corp. in Orange has received a $122-million contract to supply pharmaceuticals to military bases and hospitals in the Gulf Coast region of the United States, the Department of Defense announced Wednesday.

The agency said in a press release that the contract between Bergen Brunswig Drug Co. and the U.S. Defense Supply Center extends to Dec. 11, 2002.

The Defense Supply Center, based in Philadelphia, serves as the worldwide supply depot for the U.S. military.

A Bergen Brunswig spokesman was not available for comment.

Earlier this year, the Bergen unit received a $153.3-million contract to supply drugs in Hawaii and a $146.2-million contract for the Pacific Rim.

Shares of Bergen Brunswig closed Wednesday at $16, up 50 cents on the New York Stock Exchange.

On March 19, drug wholesalers Bergen Brunswig and AmeriSource Health Corp. said they would merge into a giant drug distribution company called AmeriSource-Bergen, which would have annual revenue of nearly $35 billion.