Daiichi Sankyo, said to have spurned an AstraZeneca bid, says it's 'not the fact'

Fierce Pharma -------- Did Daiichi Sankyo receive a buyout bid from AstraZeneca last year? According to the Japanese drugmaker, no. In response to a story from Japanese publication Nikkei Business, which claimed Daiichi had turned away an AZ acquisition bid, Daiichi released a short statement on Thursday saying, "this is not the fact." It's still unclear, however, whether the two companies discussed a deal more informally. No clarification was forthcoming from AstraZeneca. "We have nothing to share as we don’t comment on rumors or speculation," a spokeswoman said via email. Before Daiichi's rebuttal, Nikkei's report sent shares skyward by as much as 13% and triggered a trading halt on the Nikkei exchange. To learn more click on the picture below to read the article.