=Alexion Pharmaceuticals (ALXN) poaches Biogen's (BIIB) CFO

Clancy, who has served as Biogen's finance chief since 2007 and has spent a total of more than 16 years at the Cambridge, Mass.-based firm, is leaving to join Alexion Pharmaceuticals Inc. (ALXN) .

In July of last year, on the heels of Biogen's second-quarter earnings call, analysts were viewing Biogen as both a potential buyer and takeover target. In August, the Wall Street Journal reported that Biogen has attracted interest from companies including Merck & Co. (MRK) and Allergan plc (AGN) . Then in December, when Biogen named Michel Vounatsos as the company's new CEO, Reuters reported that the selection of Vounatsos "likely keeps the U.S. biotech in play as a takeover target."

As for potential acquisitions by Biogen, Syed said Clancy's departure probably doesn't change anything in terms of which companies they're looking at buying.