Allergan: AbbVie’s expensive facelift

Pharma giant AbbVie is buying Botox maker Allergan for $63bn. That’s a huge sum given the target’s uncertain prospects. Matthew Partridge reports.

Woman getting botox injection in her face.

Botox is facing stiff competition
(Image credit: VALUA-VITALY)

Yet another "pharmaceutical behemoth" looks set to emerge, says Chris Isidore on CNN. AbbVie (NYSE: ABBV) has announced that it will buy Allergan (NYSE: AGN) for $63bn. The latter's shares jumped nearly 30% on the news. Takeover activity in the sector has intensified recently, with Pfizer announcing an $1bn takeover of Array a few days ago.Earlier this year, Bristol-Myers Squibb offered $74bn for Celgene, though that deal has yet to be approved.

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Dr Matthew Partridge
Shares editor, MoneyWeek

Matthew graduated from the University of Durham in 2004; he then gained an MSc, followed by a PhD at the London School of Economics.

He has previously written for a wide range of publications, including the Guardian and the Economist, and also helped to run a newsletter on terrorism. He has spent time at Lehman Brothers, Citigroup and the consultancy Lombard Street Research.

Matthew is the author of Superinvestors: Lessons from the greatest investors in history, published by Harriman House, which has been translated into several languages. His second book, Investing Explained: The Accessible Guide to Building an Investment Portfolio, is published by Kogan Page.

As senior writer, he writes the shares and politics & economics pages, as well as weekly Blowing It and Great Frauds in History columns He also writes a fortnightly reviews page and trading tips, as well as regular cover stories and multi-page investment focus features.

Follow Matthew on Twitter: @DrMatthewPartri