AstraZeneca will acquire Alexion Pharmaceuticals, the world's largest drugmaker focused on developing treatments for rare diseases, the companies announced Dec. 12.
AstraZeneca will buy Alexion for $175 per share, totaling $39 billion dollars. The deal is expected to close in 2021's third quarter.
"This acquisition allows us to enhance our presence in immunology," AstraZeneca CEO Pascal Soriot said in a news release. "We look forward to welcoming our new colleagues at Alexion so that we can together build on our combined expertise in immunology and precision medicines to drive innovation that delivers life-changing medicines for more patients."