Nov 6 (Reuters) - Cencora ( COR ) will buy Retina

Consultants of America from private-equity firm Webster Equity

Partners for $4.6 billion, the drug distributor said on

Wednesday, beefing up its presence in the market for specialty

medicines.

Higher margins and growing U.S. demand for medicines that

treat complex conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis and cancer

have encouraged Cencora ( COR ) and peers Cardinal Health ( CAH ) and

McKesson to double down on the business.

The RCA deal will add nearly 300 retina specialists to

Cencora's ( COR ) portfolio of physician management services. It follows

the firm picking up a minority stake in OneOncology last year

for around $685 million to access a network of cancer

specialists.

RCA's network consists of specialists focusing on diseases

including macular degeneration and diabetic retinopathy.

"The deal makes sense strategically and financially,"

Leerink Partners analyst Michael Cherny wrote.

Cencora ( COR ), formerly known as AmerisourceBergen, would pay

potential milestone payments of up to $500 million in aggregate

contingent consideration in fiscal years 2027 and 2028.

Southlake, Texas-based RCA, formed by Webster Equity

Partners in 2020, provides physician management and financial

services to retina specialty practices under its ambit.

Separately, Cencora ( COR ) forecast 2025 profit above Wall Street

expectations after beating fourth-quarter estimates on strength

in its U.S. business.

The company projected adjusted annual profit per share in

the range of $14.80 to $15.10. Analysts on average were

expecting $14.71 per share, according to estimates compiled by

LSEG.

Cencora ( COR ) in September said it expects 2025 adjusted profit to

be at the lower end of its long-term forecast range of 8% to 12%

growth.

On an adjusted basis, the company earned $3.34 per share in

the quarter ended Sept. 30, beating estimates of $3.22.

(Reporting by Mariam Sunny in Bengaluru; Editing by Shilpi

Majumdar and Sriraj Kalluvila)