How AstraZeneca Overcame US Anti-Trust Obstacles For Alexion Deal

CFO Confident Of Closing In Q3

22 Apr 2021

While the sector is gripped by fears that overly zealous anti-competition regulators pose a threat to future M&A biopharma deals, AstraZeneca's acquisition of Alexion has sauntered through the US FTC's review. Its CFO Marc Dunoyer tells Scrip why the company is not surprised.

FTC proved no obstacle for AstraZeneca • Source: Alamy

AstraZeneca PLC has comfortably leapt over the antitrust hurdles in the US that some analysts thought could scupper, or least slow down, its $39bn acquisition of rare disease specialist Alexion Pharmaceuticals Inc. and the firm is on track to seal the deal, unveiled in December, in the third quarter.

The US Federal Trade Commission announced last month that it would be taking an aggressive approach to biopharma M&A, saying...