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June 9 (Reuters) - UK's blue-chip FTSE 100 slipped on

Tuesday, weighed by shares of GSK after the healthcare company

announced plans to acquire shares of U.S.-based drug developer

Nuvalent for $10.6 billion as it seeks to boost its lung cancer

treatments.

The blue-chip FTSE 100 index slipped 0.3% to 10,341

points by 0810 GMT, while the midcap FTSE 250 edged up

0.2%.

* Shares of GSK lost 2.8% and weighed on the broader FTSE

350 Pharmaceuticals and Biotechnology index that

fell 1.6% and was the biggest sectoral decliner.

* Global markets were also eyeing signs of de-escalation in

the Middle East after Iran and Israel said they had halted

attacks on each other following an appeal from U.S. President

Donald Trump, who also said that he could have "an idea" for an

Iran deal within a few days.

* Inflation concerns, stemming from higher energy costs due

to the conflict, have had investors price in a 25 basis point

interest rate hike by the Bank of England in September,

according to LSEG-compiled data.

* The main FTSE indexes have underperformed their peers in

Asia and the U.S., given their minimal exposure to AI stocks.

Against this backdrop, Britain set out a new £1.1 billion ($1.47

billion) plan to build domestic AI computing capacity.

* Among other stocks, BP slipped 1%, tracking a slip

in crude prices. Attention on the company has piqued after the

firing of former chair Albert Manifold and a latest report said

investors and former executives at the oil major were in the

dark about the precise circumstances that led to his departure.

* Venture Capital firm Molten Ventures ( GRWXF ) gained 9.5%

after announcing annual results, Fever-Tree Drinks

gained 6.4% after the carbonated mixer supplier said it is

confident of meeting full-year market expectations for revenue

and core profit and announced an increase in share buybacks.

* Homebuilder MJ Gleeson lost 3.5% after projecting

annual adjusted pretax profit below market expectations.

(Reporting by Johann M Cherian in Bengaluru)