Walgreen Boots Alliance will become privately held in a $10 billion takeover by the investment firm Sycamore Partners.

Walgreens Boots Alliance will be taken private by Sycamore Partners for $10 billion, the buyout firm said on Thursday, closing out nearly a century of trading on public markets for the U.S. pharmacy giant.

Private equity firm Sycamore Partners has entered into a definitive agreement with Walgreens Boots Alliance to acquire the struggling retail pharmacy chain. | The confirmation follows weeks of speculation and rumors that Sycamore was planning to take over Walgreens and take the company private.