NORTH AMERICA

摘要

Abbvie has pulled the plug on its US$55bn takeover of Shire weeks after the US government moved to curb deals designed to reduce tax. AbbVie's board recommended that shareholders vote against the proposed takeover following new US proposals which aim to make it harder for American firms to shift their tax bases out of the US and into lower cost jurisdictions in Europe. AbbVie's move for Shire, a leader in drugs to treat attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, was announced in July amid a spate of similar takeover deals within the US and European pharmaceutical sector. In July AbbVie agreed a £13.5bn bridge loan via sole arranger and underwriter JP Morgan to back the acquisition. Then in August it sealed a £3.2bn two-year term loan to reduce the bridge, as well as a US$4bn revolver.