AstraZeneca, Bristol Myers Squibb in talks on $400 billion megadeal
British pharmaceutical giant AstraZeneca is in talks to merge with U.S. rival Bristol Myers Squibb in a deal that could be valued near $400 billion, the Financial Times reported. A combination would create one of the largest drugmakers in the world, reshaping the competitive landscape across cancer, immunology and cardiovascular treatments.
AstraZeneca, the UK's largest pharmaceutical company, is holding talks with U.S. rival Bristol Myers Squibb over a potential merger valued near $400 billion, the Financial Times reported Sunday, citing people familiar with the discussions. Neither company has confirmed a deal is imminent, and talks could still fall apart.
A combination would rank among the largest pharmaceutical mergers on record, uniting AstraZeneca's oncology and immunology pipeline with Bristol Myers Squibb's cardiovascular and cancer treatments. Analysts said the tie-up would help both companies confront looming patent expirations and mounting pressure from generic competition later this decade.
Shares in both companies are likely to be closely watched when trading resumes, with investors weighing regulatory hurdles on both sides of the Atlantic. Any formal transaction would require sign-off from antitrust regulators in the UK, the European Union and the United States, a process that typically takes many months.
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