Drug giant goes for the new sciences

The deal shows AstraZeneca’s new chief executive Pascal Soriot taking on more scientific risks by betting on a new and still unproven approach to cardiovascular medicine.

Financial details of the acquisition by the British drugmaker’s MedImmune unit were not disclosed but the amount paid will have been modest since AstraZeneca was not obliged to disclose it as a material investment.

Last month it revealed it paid nearly £160m upfront to Moderna Therapeutics to access its know-how in manipulating RNA, or ribonucleic acid, which helps create proteins inside cells – another example of Mr Soriot placing a bet on new science.