Get Ready For The Return Of The Mega-Merger, Leerink Says

Following tax reform, analysts expect imminent biopharma mega-mergers, with Pfizer, Merck and Roche looking to buy, AstraZeneca, Bristol and Vertex looming as take-out candidates, and Amgen as either a buyer or a target.

Business teamwork puzzle pieces.

Leerink Partners assessed the likelihood of a biopharma mega-merger now that US tax reform has been enacted and determined that AstraZeneca PLC, Bristol-Myers Squibb Co., Vertex Pharmaceuticals Inc., Celgene Corp. and Biogen Inc. are the targets that would make the most sense for potential acquirers such as Pfizer Inc., Merck & Co. Inc. or Roche.

In a March 16 analysis, Seamus Fernandez and Geoffrey Porges say that the aftermath of tax reform, along with the...

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