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The U.S. drug giant Pfizer and its smaller rival Allergan have agreed to merge, creating the world's biggest pharmaceutical company by sales.

The $160 billion deal is the largest example so far of a corporate inversion, in which a U.S. company merges with a foreign company and shifts its domicile overseas in order to lower its corporate taxes.

Because Allergan is based in Dublin, New York-based Pfizer can move its corporate home to Ireland, where the official tax rate is lower. But it will essentially remain the same company, with the same name, CEO and even the same stock ticker symbol.


The deal, which was approved unanimously by the boards of the two companies on Sunday, brings together the makers of Viagra and Botox, creating a drug industry powerhouse, 

, Pfizer CEO Ian Read said the deal "will create a leading global pharmaceutical company with the strength to research, discover and deliver more medicines and therapies to more people around the world":


The merger is likely to be controversial and increase pressure on Congress to take on the inversion trend.


The Treasury Department proposed new rules to make inversions somewhat tougher to pull off several days ago, but the Obama administration says congressional action is needed to really address the issue.  Copyright 2019 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.

Business and Economic News

Jim Zarroli

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The U.S. drug giant Pfizer and its smaller rival Allergan have agreed to merge, creating the world's biggest pharmaceutical company by sales.


Pfizer, Allergan combining in $160B deal

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