AstraZeneca close to selling dental unit; fewer deaths with Brilinta in ACS patients than with clopidogrel

In a move that has been previously flagged, Anglo-Swedish drug major AstraZeneca’s (LSE: AZN) is near to selling its Swedish dental and health care subsidiary in a deal that could bring in a handsome $1.8 billion to the company, according to a report this morning in the UK’s Financial Times.

US dental equipment maker Dentsply International, says the newspaper, has out bid other interested parties, including private equity group EQT Partners and US medical firm Biomet, to get exclusive negotiation rights on a deal to acquire Astra Tech, the world’s third-largest dental implants maker.

According to the FT, quoting sources familiar with the situation, although Dentsply has been bidding for the whole of Astra Tech, which had sales of around $535 million last year, its main interest is in the dental business as a standalone unit, which would leave the urological and surgery devices operation open to other offers.