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AstraZeneca PLC <tr><td colspan="2" style="text-align:center; padding:16px 0 16px 0;"></td></tr>
Type	Public (LSE: AZN, NYSE: AZN) and OMX: AZN
Founded	6 April 1999 by merger
Headquarters	Corporate HQ in London, England R&D HQ in Södertälje, Sweden NorthAmerica HQ in Wilmington, DE <tr><th style="text-align:right; padding-right:0.75em;">Key people</th><td>David Brennan CEO Louis Schweitzer Chairman Jonathan Symonds CFO John Patterson Director, Drug Development Jan Lundberg Exec. VP, Discovery Research</td></tr><tr><th style="text-align:right; padding-right:0.75em;">Industry</th><td>Pharmaceutical</td></tr><tr><th style="text-align:right; padding-right:0.75em;">Products</th><td>Pharmaceutical products for humans</td></tr><tr><th style="text-align:right; padding-right:0.75em;">Revenue</th><td>$23.95 billion (2005)</td></tr><tr><th style="text-align:right; padding-right:0.75em;">Operating income</th><td>$6.5 billion (2005)</td></tr><tr><th style="text-align:right; padding-right:0.75em;">Employees</th><td>>65,000 (2005)</td></tr><tr><th style="text-align:right; padding-right:0.75em;">Slogan</th><td>Life inspiring ideas.</td></tr><tr><th style="text-align:right; padding-right:0.75em;">Website</th><td>www.astrazeneca.com</td></tr>

AstraZeneca PLC^[1] (LSE: AZN, NYSE: AZN), is a large Anglo-Swedish pharmaceutical company formed on 6 April 1999 by the merger of Swedish Astra AB and British Zeneca Group. AstraZeneca develops, manufactures, and sells pharmaceuticals to treat disorders in the gastrointestinal, cardiac and vascular, neurological and psychiatric, infection, respiratory, pathological inflammation and oncology areas.

Sales in 2005 totalled $23.95 billion, with a profit before tax of $6.5 billion. Total R&D spending was $3.4 billion. The corporate headquarters are in London, UK, the research and development (R&D) headquarters are in Södertälje, Sweden. Major R&D centres are located on three continents in the United States, United Kingdom, Sweden, and India.

The current chief executive of AstraZeneca is David Brennan.^[2] He replaced Sir Tom McKillop on January 1, 2006.

Contents 1 Corporate structure 2 Merger and acquisition activity 3 Collaborations and alliances 4 Diversity 5 AstraZeneca and Breast Cancer 6 Major products 7 See also 8 References 8.1 Notes 9 External links

[edit] Corporate structure

Current members of the board of directors of AstraZeneca are: Peter Bonfield, David Brennan, John Buchanan, Jane E. Henney, Michele Hooper, Joe Jimenez, Håkan Mogren, Erna Möller, Professor Dame Nancy Rothwell, John Varley, John Patterson, Louis Schweitzer, Jonathan Symonds, and Marcus Wallenberg.

[edit] Merger and acquisition activity

AstraZeneca has, following a collaborative relationship begun in 2004,<ref>Press release, 22 November 2004</ref> commenced the acquisition of Cambridge Antibody Technology (CAT).<ref>May 15, 2006 MarketWatch report</ref> The company is currently in the final stages of exercising compulsory acquisition options against outstanding CAT shares.<ref>Press release, 7 July 2006</ref>

[edit] Collaborations and alliances

• Abbott Laboratories in relation to Crestor® and TriCor®, commencing in 2006 and extending to at least 2009.<ref>Press release, 5 July 2006</ref>
• Astex. Announced 2005. For discovery, development and commercialisation of novel small molecule inhibitors of Protein Kinase B for use as anti-cancer agents.<ref>Press release, 27 July 2005</ref>
• Avanir. Announced 2005. For research and licensing in the area of Reverse Cholesterol Transport (RCT) enhancing compounds for the treatment of cardiovascular disease.<ref>Press release, 11 July 2005</ref>
• Diamond Member of the Pennsylvania Bio commerce organization.<ref>Pennsylvania Bio - Member Listings. Pennsylvania Bio web site. Retrieved on October 8, 2005.</ref>
• Schering AG. Announced 2005. For research and licensing in the area of Selective Glucocorticoid Receptor Agonists (SEGRAs).<ref>Press release, 27 July 2005</ref>

[edit] Diversity

In the US, AstraZeneca is one of the 100 Best Companies for Working Mothers in 2004 according to Working Mothers magazine.^[3]

[edit] AstraZeneca and Breast Cancer

AstraZeneca is the major sponsor for Breast Cancer Awareness Month which focuses on early detection and treatment[4]. AstraZeneca is also a leading producer of breast cancer treatment drugs like Tamoxifen and Arimidex

[edit] Major products

AstraZeneca specialises in prescription medicines to fight disease in the several therapeutic areas. Year-on sales information can be found through AstraZeneca annual reports. The following is a list of key products as found on the AstraZeneca website, retrieved 2005-03-27.

• Gastrointestinal
  • Entocort (budesonide)
  • Losec/Prilosec/Mopral (omeprazole)
  • Nexium (esomeprazole)

• Cardiovascular
  • Atacand (candesartan)
  • Betaloc (metoprolol)
  • Crestor (rosuvastatin)
  • Exanta (ximelagatran) – withdrawn in 2006
  • Imdur (isosorbide mononitrate)
  • Inderal (propranolol)
  • Lexxel (enalapril/felodipine)
  • Logimax (felodipine/metoprolol)
  • Nif-Ten (atenlol/nifedipine)
  • Plendil (felodipine)
  • Ramace (ramipril)
  • Seloken ZOK/Toprol-XL (extended-release metoprolol)
  • Tenoretic (atenolol/chlorthalidone)
  • Tenormin (atenolol)
  • Unimax (felodipine/ramipril)
  • Xylocard (lidocaine)
  • Zestoretic (lisinopril/hydrochlorothiazide)
  • Zestril (lisinopril)

• Respiratory
  • Accolate (zafirlukast)
  • Bambec (bambuterol)
  • Bricanyl (terbutaline)
  • Oxis (formoterol)
  • Pulmicort (inhaled budesonide)
  • Rhinocort (intranasal budesonide)
  • Symbicort (budesonide/formoterol)

• Oncology
  • Arimidex (anastrozole)
  • Casodex (bicalutamide)
  • Faslodex (fulvestrant)
  • Iressa (gefitinib)
  • Nolvadex (tamoxifen)
  • Tomudex (raltitrexed)
  • Zoladex (goserelin)
  • in development
    • Zactima (Phase III clinical trial - Press release)

• Neuroscience

• • Seroquel (quetiapine)
  • Vivalan (viloxazine)
  • Zomig (zolmitriptan)

• • Anaesthetics
    • Carbocaine (mepivacaine)
    • Chirocaine (levobupivacaine)
    • Diprivan (propofol)
    • EMLA (lidocaine/prilocaine)
    • Marcaine/Sensorcaine (bupivacaine)
    • Naropin (ropivacaine)
    • Xylocaine (lidocaine)

• Infection
  • Apatef/Cefotan (cefotetan)
  • Merrem/Meronem (meropenem)

[edit] See also

• List of pharmaceutical companies

[edit] References

1. ↑  standard practice is that the name be pronounced as "Astra Zeneca" rather than "Astrazeneca".
2. ↑  AstraZeneca PLC (July 28, 2005). The Board of AstraZeneca PLC announces the appointment of David R Brennan as Chief Executive with effect from 1 January 2006 upon the retirement at that time of Sir Tom McKillop. Press release.
3. ↑  AstraZeneca Profile. Verified availability February 3, 2006.
4. ↑  Gladwell, Malcolm (October 25, 2004). "High Prices: How to think about prescription drugs". The New Yorker. Verified availability August 5, 2005.

[edit] Notes

<References/>

[edit] External links

• AstraZeneca website
• Yahoo profile

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