New York (CNN Business) Leading Covid-19 vaccine developer AstraZeneca agreed on Saturday to buy Boston pharmaceutical firm Alexion (ALXN) for $39 billion. AstraZeneca's AZN The acquisition is one of the largest deals of the year for the drug industry and would expandreach in rare diseases. Alexion has an immunology unit in Boston that serves patients with rare disorders. AstraZeneca, a British-Swedish drugmaker headquartered in the United Kingdom, has partnered with the University of Oxford to produce a Covid-19 vaccine. Both companies put out a press release Saturday stating their boards of directors unanimously approved the deal.

Source: CNN December 12, 2020 18:22 UTC