Novartis CEO Daniel Vasella yesterday dismissed talk of the Swiss drugmaker’s interest in purchasing AstraZeneca, Reuters reported. “You shouldn’t expect any major transaction on our side,” Vasella told analysts in a post-results Web cast. “You can forget when you hear about AstraZeneca or other companies.” Novartis, along with GlaxoSmithKline, has been repeatedly mentioned by analysts as a potential bidder for AstraZeneca.