AstraZeneca PLC (AZN, AZN.LN), Britain's second-largest drug maker, has hired a pair of Wall Street investment banks to advise it on any fresh takeover move by its larger U.S. rival Pfizer, The Daily Telegraph reported on its website Monday.

Goldman Sachs Group Inc. (GS) and Morgan Stanley (MS) have been drafted as advisers in case Pfizer launches a new attempt to buy the FTSE 100 pharmaceutical company after a report over the weekend revealed that the American company had discussed a 60 billion British pound ($101 million) merger.

Pfizer is understood to have brought in J.P. Morgan (JPM) to work on any potential bid, though the initial talks are said to have ended several months ago and there is no current dialogue between the two companies, The Telegraph said. Spokesmen for the three investment banks declined to comment, The Telegraph added.

Newspaper website: www.telegraph.co.uk

Write to Dennis Baker at dennis.baker@dowjones.com

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