AstraZeneca Ponders a Huge $240 Billion Gilead Gamble
There's some financial logic to a Gilead tie-up, but the British company already has an enviable pipeline of drugs. Would this deal really be worth it?
Taking the pills?
Photographer: Simon Dawson/Bloomberg
There are good reasons for Britain’s AstraZeneca Plc to consider what would be the biggest pharmaceuticals deal in history by combining with U.S. peer Gilead Sciences Inc. They may not be good enough to offset the risks that go with mashing together drugmakers with a total market value of nearly $240 billion.
AstraZeneca approached Gilead last month, Bloomberg News reported Sunday, although there are no formal talks underway. Gilead discussed the possible tie-up with its advisers but isn’t interested in selling to a larger rival right now, Bloomberg News added.