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AstraZeneca Gilead Merger Intriguing But Unlikely

Bloomberg Rumor Causes A Stir

 
• By Kevin Grogan

The possible creation of a pharma giant worth around $230bn of two firms who are leading the industry’s efforts to combat COVID-19 has caught the imagination but the likelihood of a match is limited.

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Observers hoping for a mega-merger may have to wait a while longer • Source: Shutterstock

Observers of the pharmaceutical industry got a surprise wake-up call on Sunday (7 June) with a report that AstraZeneca PLC had approached Gilead Sciences Inc. about a potential merger and spent the rest of the day weighing up the pros and cons of a deal that could create a healthcare giant worth over $230bn.

Bloomberg reported that AstraZeneca had made a preliminary approach to Gilead about a potential merger last month citing unnamed sources familiar with the matter. The news agency claimed that Gilead...

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