Last week's poll: The proposed takeover of AstraZeneca by US Pharmaceuticals giant Pfizer is controversial on many levels. With which do you most strongly agree? In a strong response to last week's poll, a small but clear majority of the 670 respondents, 50.4 per cent, thought that Pfizer's primary concern in proposing its merger was to exploit the UK's corporate tax rates and AstraZeneca's anti-cancer drug portfolio. Another large group, 36 per cent, worried that job losses resulting from the merger could damage the UK's skills base. Smaller groups opted for the other poll responses: six per cent thought it could be beneficial if assurances were provided on jobs and R&D; four per cent thought the merger unlikely to happen; and just one per cent thought it could strengthen the UK's position in the pharmaceutical industry. Pfizer later dropped the bid after AstraZeneca rejected the offer; but with this situation occurring several times over the past year, the argument remains relevant.
展开▼
