Should governments get involved in big pharma mergers and acquisitions?

Pharma and Biotech firms might be considered an insular, close-knit group, but their reputations and brand images speak volumes to national citizens and governments. People are fond of the Pharma/Biotech firms in their countries. They become a source of national pride and a gauge for how the economy is doing. Little research has been conducted on how these social connections affect the decisions of Pharma/Biotech leaders and the government committees who decide to approve or block the mergers and acquisitions (M&As) in the industry. In this chapter, we examine how social and political pressures affected AstraZeneca’s M&A options and what that means for Pharma and Biotech M&As in general.