NorthWest Biotherapeutics Inc (NWBO)

[CogDiss 1188X]

AstraZeneca agreed to buy AlexionPharmaceuticals for $39 billion in cash and shares, adding a specialist in the treatment of rare diseases and immunology to its portfolio of medications for cancer and other illnesses.

The offer values Alexion at $175 a share, a 45% premium to the closing price on Friday.

In the sale to AstraZeneca, Alexion shareholders will receive $60 in cash and 2.1243 AstraZeneca American Depositary Shares for each Alexion share.

Alexion had $5.9 billion in sales for the 12 months ending with the third quarter of 2020, with a 24% growth rate, AstraZeneca said.

Alexion has specialized in developing drugs that selectively inhibit immune factors to fight diseases that involve the body’s protective system. Soliris, the company’s biggest product, is a monoclonal antibody approved in several countries for treatment of immune-related conditions such as paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria.

Soliris had about $4 billion in 2019 revenue. More recently, Alexion launched Ultomiris, another monoclonal antibody. The company announced plans in April to conduct late-stage tests of that drug in severely ill patients with Covid.

High-priced medicines for exotic diseases can generate billions in sales from a relatively small group of patients. Snapping up drugmakers that focus on them has been a popular way for larger pharmaceutical companies to purchase sales growth in recent years.


More info in full article:


https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2020-12-12/astrazeneca-to-buy-alexion-for-39-billion-in-cash-and-shares