IMS Health will acquire SDI, bringing two of the largest data firms servicing the pharmaceutical industry together into one company. Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.

Both companies declined to discuss the acquisition beyond a joint statement released last Friday afternoon. Unnamed company sources told Ed Silverman, who first reported the deal on his Pharmalot blog, that as much as 15% of SDI’s staff could lose their jobs as a result of the acquisition.

“The addition of SDI’s complementary information assets and capabilities positions IMS to improve existing offerings, fuel new investments and deliver greater innovation and value to a healthcare industry that is seeking to drive increased efficiencies as a result of significant, ongoing pressure to reduce costs and expand patient access,” the joint statement said.

Gary Gatyas, an IMS Health spokesperson, declined to speculate on timing for the completion of the deal, citing pre-merger notification requirements with respect to the Hart-Scott-Rodino Antitrust Improvements Act of 1976.

SDI acquired Verispan in 2008, tripling its size in terms of workforce. Wolters Kluwer and Kantar Health were not immediately available to comment on ramifications of the acquisition.