Now waiting for next move from Pfizer in AstraZeneca bid

With the UK Parliamentary investigation now over – but no report out yet – all eyes are on US pharma giant Pfizer’s next move in its aggressive attempts to acquire UK major AstraZeneca.

On balance, the questioning of both firm’s chief executives, as well as other interested parties, seemed to suggest that the acquisition might jeopardize British pharma research and is based as much on Pfizer tax inversions ambitions and AstraZeneca’s very strong research pipeline. Pfizer’s ruthless costing-cutting in previous mega acquisitions was highlighted by a number of interested parties, including Sweden’s Finance Minister who used the example of broken promises when Pfizer acquired local firm Pharmacia. And of course, AstraZeneca has a significant R&D base in that country.

Swedish trade unions brand AstraZeneca takeover as ‘scary’ and a ‘risk’ to science