(Alliance News) - Massachusetts, US-based drug developer Alexion Pharmaceuticals Inc said late Tuesday that a requisite majority of its shareholders have voted in favour of the company's takeover by Anglo-Swedish drugmaker AstraZeneca PLC.
This was after Astra's own shareholders voted in favour of the deal.
"We're very pleased with today's affirmative shareholder vote, which brings us one step closer to completing a transaction that will accelerate the combined company's ability to develop and provide access to life-changing medicines for patients with rare and devastating diseases around the world," said Alexion Chief Executive Officer Ludwig Hantson.
Alexion said it the takeover is expected to close in the third quarter of 2021.
Cambridge-based pharmaceutical and biotechnology company AstraZeneca agreed to a deal for Alexion in December for USD39 billion to boost its work on immunology. The takeover has already been given the go-ahead by the US Federal Trade Commission in mid-April after competition clearances in Canada, Brazil and Russia, but Astra is still waiting on approval in the UK, EU and Japan.
Shares in Alexion Pharmaceuticals closed 0.2% lower at USD171.41 on Tuesday in New York, and remained flat in after hours trade. Astra's shares closed 1.2% lower at 7,624.00 pence in London.
By Dayo Laniyan; dayolaniyan@alliancenews.com
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Astrazeneca (AZN)