Gaithersburg-based drug company MedImmune Inc. has been sold to a British pharmaceutical firm for $15.2 billion. MedImmune is the company behind the FluMist vaccine, among other ventures. In a statement Monday, AstraZenenca said the move will allow the company to expand its biotechnology business, adding 45 projects to the company’s pipeline.

The deal is expected to close in June.

UBS Investment Research said in a note Monday that the purchase was expensive for AstraZeneca, considering MedImmune has just two projects in the late stages of development.

“Whilst strategically sensible with fits in anti-infectives, cancer and inflammatory diseases, the purchase looks pricey,” the note stated.

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Whether AstraZeneca will maintain MedImmune’s base in Gaithersburg isn’t certain, spokeswoman Kate Barrett said Monday. The company is forming a transition team to work out integration questions.

“They have said they plan to maintain and build on the capabilities we have, so right now we are thinking business as usual,” Barrett said. MedImmune employs approximately 1200 people in Maryland, and another 1,300 across the country. In its statement, AstraZeneca said it has a strong desire to retain employees and maintain the company’s current culture. MedImmune will merge with AstraZeneca’s existing subsidiary, Cambridge Antibody Technology, once the arrangement is finalized.

melissa.frederick@dcexaminer.com