AstraZeneca acquires rare disease firm Alexion
AstraZeneca and Alexion Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (Alexion) have entered into a definitive agreement for AstraZeneca to acquire Alexion for $39B.
According to a company press release, a dedicated rare disease unit will be headquartered in Boston.
Pascal Soriot, Chief Executive Officer, AstraZeneca, said, in the press release: “Alexion has established itself as a leader in complement biology, bringing life-changing benefits to patients with rare diseases. 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.”
Ludwig Hantson, PhD, Chief Executive Officer, Alexion, said in the press release: “For nearly 30 years Alexion has worked to develop and deliver transformative medicines to patients around the world with rare and devastating diseases. I am incredibly proud of what our organisation has accomplished and am grateful to our employees for their contributions. This transaction marks the start of an exciting new chapter for Alexion. We bring to AstraZeneca a strong portfolio, innovative rare disease pipeline, a talented global workforce and strong manufacturing capabilities in biologics. We remain committed to continuing to serve the patients who rely on our medicines and firmly believe the combined organisation will be well positioned to accelerate innovation and deliver enhanced value for our shareholders, patients and the rare disease communities.”
Read the full press release here.
