Operating Assets, Liabilities, and Contingent Liabilities

(19) Other intangible assets

Accounting and measurement policies

Recognition and initial measurement of purchased intangible assets

In in-licensing, the portion of the consideration paid by the Group to acquire intellectual property is recognized as an intangible asset. If research and development services to be performed by the seller are also agreed in conjunction with the transaction, the related share of consideration is separated and recognized in research and development expenses in line with the service performance.

Contingent consideration linked to milestone payments in connection with the purchase of intangible assets arising outside a business combination is recognized as an intangible asset and as a financial liability once the milestone is reached. Contingent consideration in the form of sales-based royalties is expensed when incurred.

Intangible assets acquired in business combinations are recognized at fair value on the acquisition date.

Recognition and initial measurement of internally generated intangible assets

Owing to the high level of uncertainty until pharmaceutical products are approved, the criteria for the capitalization of development costs in accordance with IAS 38 are not met in the Healthcare business sector for the development of drug candidates. Costs incurred after regulatory approval are insignificant and are therefore not recognized as intangible assets. In the Life Science and Electronics business sectors, development expenses are capitalized as soon as all the recognition criteria are met and can be verified accordingly. This also includes expenses that are required for REACH registration. Furthermore, development expenses for internal software projects and the enhancement of purchased ERP programs are capitalized providing that the relevant criteria have been fulfilled.

Subsequent measurement

Subsequent measurement is at amortized cost.

Purchased and internally generated intangible assets with finite useful lives are amortized using the straight-line method over their useful lives. The useful lives of customer relationships, brand names and trademarks, as well as marketing authorizations, patents, licenses, and similar rights and software are usually between three and 24 years. In determining these useful lives, the Group considers factors including the typical product life cycles for each asset and publicly available information about the estimated useful lives of similar assets. The amortization expense is allocated to the respective functional costs or, if this is not possible, recognized under other operating expenses.

Indications of impairment are identified with the involvement of the responsible departments, taking external and internal information sources into consideration. The Group examines the existence of indications of impairment using various factors, particularly deviations from sales forecasts and the analysis of changes in medium-term planning. An impairment test is performed if there are indications of impairment. In the event of impairment, an impairment loss is recognized under other operating expenses. Impairment losses are reversed up to amortized cost and reported in other operating income if the original reasons for impairment no longer apply.

Intangible assets with indefinite useful lives and purchased, as well as internally generated intangible assets not yet available for use, are not amortized, but instead are tested for impairment when a triggering event arises or at least once a year.

Significant discretionary decisions and sources of estimation uncertainty

Purchased intangible assets

The identification and measurement of intangible assets acquired in the course of business combinations are subject to significant discretion and estimation uncertainty.

In connection with in-licensing agreements in the Healthcare business sector, a discretionary estimate is made of the extent to which upfront payments and milestone payments are remuneration for development services yet to be performed or whether such payments are acquisition costs of an intangible asset to be capitalized.

Determination of amortization

Significant assumptions and estimates are required to determine the appropriate amount of amortization of other intangible assets. This relates in particular to the determination of the underlying useful life.

If the amortization of intangible assets from customer relationships, brands, trademarks, marketing authorizations, patents, licenses and similar rights, and other had been 10% higher, for example due to shortened useful lives, profit before income tax would have been € 71 million lower in fiscal 2024 (2023: € 78 million).

Identification of a need to recognize impairment loss and reverse impairment loss

Discretionary decisions are required in assessing substantial evidence of impairment as well as in identifying the need to reverse the impairment of other intangible assets. Significant valuation-related assumptions and estimates are also required to calculate the appropriate write-down amount in impairment testing.

Other intangible assets

 

 

Customer relationships, brands and trademarks

 

Marketing authorizations, patents, licenses, similar rights, and other items

 

Software and software in development

 

Advance payments

 

Total

€ million

 

 

 

Finite useful life

 

Not yet available for use

 

 

 

 

 

 

Cost as of Jan. 1, 2023

 

10,391

 

11,302

 

1,379

 

1,096

 

 

24,169

Additions due to business combinations

 

 

 

 

 

 

Other additions

 

 

20

 

284

 

92

 

 

396

Disposals due to divestments/Reclassification to assets held for sale

 

 

 

 

 

 

Other disposals

 

3

 

-25

 

-9

 

-13

 

 

-44

Transfers

 

 

16

 

-14

 

5

 

 

6

Currency translation

 

-351

 

-112

 

-3

 

-16

 

 

-482

Dec. 31, 2023

 

10,043

 

11,200

 

1,637

 

1,165

 

 

24,045

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Accumulated amortization and impairment losses as of Jan. 1, 2023

 

-4,743

 

-10,509

 

-887

 

-695

 

 

-16,833

Depreciation, amortization, and write-downs

 

-581

 

-202

 

 

-104

 

 

-887

Impairment losses

 

-26

 

-24

 

-31

 

 

 

-81

Reversals of impairment losses

 

 

 

5

 

 

 

5

Disposals due to divestments/Reclassification to assets held for sale

 

 

 

 

 

 

Other disposals

 

-3

 

25

 

3

 

12

 

 

37

Transfers

 

 

 

 

 

 

Currency translation

 

156

 

91

 

2

 

16

 

 

265

Dec. 31, 2023

 

-5,196

 

-10,619

 

-908

 

-770

 

 

-17,493

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Net carrying amounts
as of Dec. 31, 2023

 

4,847

 

580

 

729

 

395

 

 

6,551

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Cost as of Jan. 1, 2024

 

10,043

 

11,200

 

1,637

 

1,165

 

 

24,044

Additions due to business combinations

 

12

 

199

 

37

 

 

 

249

Other additions

 

 

4

 

141

 

103

 

3

 

251

Disposals due to divestments/Reclassification to assets held for sale

 

-2

 

-35

 

 

-5

 

 

-41

Other disposals

 

 

-3

 

-1

 

-11

 

 

-16

Transfers

 

3

 

38

 

-37

 

9

 

-1

 

12

Currency translation

 

506

 

84

 

11

 

28

 

 

629

Dec. 31, 2024

 

10,563

 

11,487

 

1,788

 

1,288

 

2

 

25,129

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Accumulated depreciation and impairment losses as of Jan. 1, 2024

 

-5,196

 

-10,619

 

-908

 

-770

 

 

-17,493

Depreciation, amortization, and write-downs

 

-553

 

-161

 

 

-110

 

 

-824

Impairment losses

 

-3

 

-34

 

-192

 

-15

 

 

-243

Reversals of impairment losses

 

 

 

 

 

 

Disposals due to divestments/Reclassification to assets held for sale

 

2

 

33

 

 

3

 

 

38

Other disposals

 

 

1

 

 

10

 

 

12

Transfers

 

-2

 

1

 

 

12

 

 

10

Currency translation

 

-263

 

-63

 

-3

 

-16

 

 

-345

Dec. 31, 2024

 

-6,015

 

-10,843

 

-1,103

 

-885

 

 

-18,846

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Net carrying amounts
as of Dec. 31, 2024

 

4,548

 

644

 

685

 

404

 

2

 

6,282

Additions and disposals

The additions from business combinations primarily resulted from the acquisition of Mirus Bio LLC, United States (see Note (6) “Acquisitions and divestments”).

Additions for intangible assets not yet available for use essentially related to the in-licensing of intellectual property in the Healthcare business sector. In the previous year, these were mainly concerned with the in‑licensing of drug candidates from Jiangsu Hengrui Pharmaceuticals Co. Ltd., China, and Abbisko Therapeutics Co. Ltd., China (see Note (7) “Collaboration and licensing agreements“).

Additions to software and software in development mainly related to the internal development of IT applications. The gross carrying amounts and accumulated amortization for the capitalized software primarily related to purchased software as well as internally generated applications and enhancements of purchased ERP programs that were already available for use. These were mainly included in administrative expenses.

Loss allowances

Impairment losses were attributable to the Healthcare business sector in particular and primarily related to discontinued development programs, including € 140 million in connection with the discontinuation of the xevinapant program (see Note (7) “Collaboration and licensing agreements”).

Other significant information

As in the previous year, the currency translation effects essentially resulted from the translation of other intangible assets denominated in U.S. dollars.

Marketing authorizations, patents, licenses, similar rights and other items not yet available for use were attributable to ongoing development projects that were not yet in the commercialization phase and thus did not yet have a defined useful life. These primarily related to the Healthcare business sector.

Overview of material other intangible assets

The carrying amounts of customer relationships, brands and trademarks as well as marketing authorizations, patents, licenses, similar rights and other items were attributable to the business sectors as follows:

Other intangible assets – attributable to the business sectors

€ million

 

Remaining useful life in years

 

Life Science

 

Healthcare

 

Electronics

 

Total
Dec. 31, 2024

 

Total
Dec. 31, 2023

Customer relationships, brands and trademarks

 

 

 

2,988

 

 

1,559

 

4,548

 

4,847

Customer relationships

 

 

 

2,756

 

 

1,551

 

4,307

 

4,542

thereof

 

from the following acquisitions:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sigma-Aldrich Corporation

 

11,8-12,8

 

2,553

 

 

116

 

2,669

 

2,726

Versum Materials, Inc.

 

1,8-13,8

 

 

 

1,434

 

1,434

 

1,545

Millipore Corporation

 

1,5-2,5

 

109

 

 

 

109

 

170

Brands and trademarks

 

 

 

233

 

 

8

 

241

 

305

thereof

 

from the following acquisition:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sigma-Aldrich Corporation

 

2,9

 

222

 

 

 

222

 

281

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Marketing authorizations, patents, licenses and similar rights and other

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Finite useful life

 

 

 

398

 

116

 

130

 

644

 

580

Patents, licenses and similar rights

 

 

 

395

 

 

125

 

520

 

447

thereof

 

from the following acquisitions:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

AZ Electronic Materials S.A.

 

0,3-8,3

 

 

 

35

 

35

 

87

Versum Materials, Inc.

 

0,8-1,8

 

 

 

67

 

67

 

107

Others

 

 

 

3

 

116

 

5

 

124

 

134

Not yet available for use

 

 

 

24

 

493

 

169

 

685

 

729

thereof

 

from the following acquisition:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Versum Materials, Inc.

 

 

 

 

106

 

106

 

102

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