EU to decide on Astrazeneca's $39 billion Alexion deal by July 5

[June 01, 2021]  BRUSSELS (Reuters) - EU antitrust regulators will decide by July 5 whether to clear Anglo-Swedish drugmaker AstraZeneca's $39 billion bid for U.S.-based Alexion, a European Commission filing showed on Tuesday.

AstraZeneca sought EU approval on Monday for the deal, its largest ever in a bet on rare-disease immunology and to boost its business, which includes a fast-growing cancer medicines unit and a major COVID-19 vaccine.

The Commission can either clear the deal with or without conditions or it can open a four-month long investigation if it has serious concerns.

The UK Competition Authority and Markets Authority is also reviewing the bid which has already received the green light in the United States, Canada, Brazil and Russia.

(Reporting by Foo Yun Chee; editing by David Evans)

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