AstraZeneca buys drugmaker Caelum in deal worth up to $500 mln

AstraZeneca said on Wednesday its newly acquired Alexion division will purchase the remaining equity in drugmaker Caelum Biosciences in a deal that could be worth up to $500 million, expanding its access into rare-disease treatments.

The Anglo-Swedish drugmaker said it would take forward Caelum's late-stage trial of a potential medicine to treat AL amyloidosis, a rare disease that affects the heart, kidneys and other organs.