UK & EU Antitrust Regulators Concerned Over AstraZeneca’s $39B Alexion Buy

EU & UK antitrust watchdogs are set to decide by this weekend whether to approve AstraZeneca’s US$39 billion bid for biopharmaceutical company Alexion, a European Commission filing revealed on Tuesday, June 1.

Anglo-Swedish drugmaker AstraZeneca sought approval for the deal on Monday. However, the UK’s competition regulator is reviewing the takeover bid for the US-based pharma firm, until July 5, looking at whether it could shrink competition in the UK or other markets.

The UK’s Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) stated that it welcomes any comments from interested parties on the deal to help its assessment, setting a deadline of June 3 for submissions.

The famed drugmaker AstraZeneca, which became a household name after its vaccine went to market, agreed to buy Alexion in December.

The eye-watering US$39 billion deal would be the vaccine makers largest-ever deal and marks a bet on the rare-disease immunology market.  

The CMA review forms part of the initial analysis and is likely to be finalized by July 21, the watchdog stated.  

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