1516 EST -- AstraZeneca is one of the most mentioned companies in the U.S. across all news items in the last 12 hours, according to Factiva data. AstraZeneca is pushing further into vaccines with a cash deal to buy respiratory specialist Icosavax for about $1.1 billion. Icosavax is developing a potential vaccine, called IVX-A12, for two common respiratory diseases that are leading causes of respiratory infection and hospitalization among adults 60 years of age and older: respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) and human metapneumovirus (hMPV). Deals in the red-hot biotech and pharmaceutical space have heated up into the end of the year, boding well for momentum into 2024. Dow Jones & Co. owns Factiva. (matthew.walker@dowjones.com)


(END) Dow Jones Newswires

12-12-23 1531ET