In an end-of-year surprise, AstraZeneca nabs rare disease stalwart Alexion in $39B buyout. But why?

John Carroll

Editor & Founder

After spending the past 8 years scripting a turnaround that would make AstraZeneca $AZN a reliable growth story and global performer in oncology, CEO Pascal Soriot has bought out Alexion $ALXN, a mid-sized biotech that helped make rare diseases trendy.

Investors at Alexion are getting $175 a share — $60 in cash and the rest in company stock — making this a $39 billion buyout. That qualifies as the biggest M&A deal of 2020 in biopharma, a year in which easy bolt-ons have dominated.

To read Endpoints News become a free subscriber

Unlock this article instantly, along with access to limited free monthly articles and our suite of newsletters

TRENDING NOW

In an end-of-year surprise, AstraZeneca nabs rare disease stalwart Alexion in $39B buyout. But why?

John Carroll

Editor & Founder

To read Endpoints News become a free subscriber

AstraZeneca enlists UK Treg biotech for type 1 diabetes, inflammatory bowel disease deal featuring $85M upfront

Who pays the most (and least) in biopharma? We crunched median salary data from 175 companies

FDA sets December approval decision for first CRISPR therapy, with 94% of patients free of sickle cell crises

Editas gives first look at CRISPR data in sickle cell, beta thalassemia six months after layoffs, refocus

Lyndra Therapeutics eyes $180M Series D for potential 2026 launch of once-weekly schizophrenia med

The new rules of cancer care: Responding to increasing CMS influence on the oncology landscape

In an end-of-year sur­prise, As­traZeneca nabs rare dis­ease stal­wart Alex­ion in $39B buy­out. But why?

John Carroll

Editor & Founder

To read Endpoints News become a free subscriber

As­traZeneca en­lists UK Treg biotech for type 1 di­a­betes, in­flam­ma­to­ry bow­el dis­ease deal fea­tur­ing $85M up­front

Who pays the most (and least) in bio­phar­ma? We crunched me­di­an salary da­ta from 175 com­pa­nies

FDA sets De­cem­ber ap­proval de­ci­sion for first CRISPR ther­a­py, with 94% of pa­tients free of sick­le cell crises

Ed­i­tas gives first look at CRISPR da­ta in sick­le cell, be­ta tha­lassemia six months af­ter lay­offs, re­fo­cus

Lyn­dra Ther­a­peu­tics eyes $180M Se­ries D for po­ten­tial 2026 launch of once-week­ly schiz­o­phre­nia med

The new rules of can­cer care: Re­spond­ing to in­creas­ing CMS in­flu­ence on the on­col­o­gy land­scape

In an end-of-year surprise, AstraZeneca nabs rare disease stalwart Alexion in $39B buyout. But why?

AstraZeneca enlists UK Treg biotech for type 1 diabetes, inflammatory bowel disease deal featuring $85M upfront

Who pays the most (and least) in biopharma? We crunched median salary data from 175 companies

FDA sets December approval decision for first CRISPR therapy, with 94% of patients free of sickle cell crises

Editas gives first look at CRISPR data in sickle cell, beta thalassemia six months after layoffs, refocus

Lyndra Therapeutics eyes $180M Series D for potential 2026 launch of once-weekly schizophrenia med

The new rules of cancer care: Responding to increasing CMS influence on the oncology landscape