
Acquisition Accelerates AstraZeneca's Biologics Strategy
AstraZeneca (London, UK, www.astrazeneca.com) has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire MedImmune, Inc. (Gaithersburg, MD, www.medimmune.com), in an all-cash transaction.
AstraZeneca (London, UK,
The combination of MedImmune with AstraZeneca’s wholly-owned subsidiary Cambridge Antibody Technology (CAT) will create a fully integrated biologics and vaccines business within the AstraZeneca Group with critical mass in research, development, regulatory, manufacturing, and global sales and marketing reach.
The acquisition extends AstraZeneca’s R&D science base to allow it to address novel drug targets through 3 key technological approaches: small molecules, biologics and, for the first time, vaccines. The deal increases the proportion of biologics in AstraZeneca’s pipeline from 7 percent to 27 percent and enlarges the total pipeline by 45 projects to 163 projects. The deal is expected to close in June 2007.
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