GlaxoSmithKline's market value has slipped in the past three years and the number of failures in the clinic have grown. The major's leadership will be casting nervous glances towards a major shareholder that has a reputation for aggressive restructuring calls.   

Alexion is collecting more evidence to convince NICE that its anticoagulant reversal agent is also cost-effective for intracranial hemorrhage.

The acquisitions of Alexion and Celgene are the latest in a long line of transactions in which big pharma buys big biotech. But these latest two are of biotechs that have disappointed their investors, and there are still some of those left for 2021.

Some analysts are suggesting that AstraZeneca is getting hold of a "scarce and high-quality asset" in Alexion for a very reasonable price and shareholders could demand more than the $175 per share offer on the table.