AstraZeneca, Europe's second-largest drugs group, has raised $750m (€629m) in the bond markets with the first deal since it was formed six years ago through an Anglo-Swedish merger. Citigroup, Goldman Sachs and JP Morgan ran the 10-year bond issue.

AstraZeneca, which has been in conflict with US consumer groups over the possible side-effects of Crestor, its cholesterol-lowering drug, declined to be drawn on the specific reasons for raising the new capital.