UK-Swedish pharmaceutical giant AstraZeneca has agreed to purchase Alexion, a firm specializing in the production of drugs for rare diseases, in a deal worth $39 billion, the company said in a press release on Saturday
MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 12th December, 2020) UK-Swedish pharmaceutical giant AstraZeneca has agreed to purchase Alexion, a firm specializing in the production of drugs for rare diseases, in a deal worth $39 billion, the company said in a press release on Saturday.
"AstraZeneca and Alexion Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (Alexion) have entered into a definitive agreement for AstraZeneca to acquire Alexion," the press release, which confirmed the $39 billion price tag, read.
The deal is seen as a way for AstraZeneca to bolster its immunology portfolio, CEO Pascal Soriot said in the press release.
"This acquisition allows us to enhance our presence in immunology. We look forward to welcoming our new colleagues at Alexion so that we can together build on our combined expertise in immunology and precision medicines to drive innovation that delivers life-changing medicines for more patients," Soriot was quoted as saying.
Alexion's flagship drugs Soliris and Ultomiris are used to treat blood disorders.
AstraZeneca, in conjunction with the University of Oxford, is one of a range of leading pharmaceutical firms that has produced a candidate vaccine against COVID-19. According to researchers, the vaccine has shown an average effectiveness of 70.4 percent in clinical trials.
