AstraZeneca - Definition and Overview

AstraZeneca plc, is a large Anglo-Swedish pharmaceutical company formed in April 1999 by the merger of Swedish Astra and British Zeneca. Zeneca was originally known as ICI Pharmaceuticals, before it was demerged in June 1993 from the British chemicals company, ICI.

Sales in 2003 totalled $18.8 billion, with a profit before tax of $4.2 billion. Total R&D spend was $3.5 billion. The corporate HQ is in London UK, the R&D HQ in Södertälje, Sweden. Key R&D centres are located in Alderley Park, near Macclesfield, UK, and Wilmington, Delaware, USA.

The current chief executive of AstraZeneca is Sir Tom McKillop.

Products

AstraZeneca specialises in prescription medicines to fight disease in the following therapeutic areas (with selected brand-name products and 2003 revenues).

• Gastrointestinal ($5.9bn total)
  • Losec/Prilosec ($2.6bn), Nexium ($3.3bn)
• Cardiovascular ($3.9bn total)
  • Seloken/Toprol ($1.3bn), Atacand ($570m), Plendil ($540m), Zestril ($480m), Crestor ($130m), Exanta (launched in 2004)
• Respiratory and Inflammation ($2.3bn total)
  • Symbicort ($550m), Pulmicort ($970m), Rhinocort ($360m), Oxis ($120m), Accolate ($110m)
• Oncology ($2.7bn total)
  • Zoladex ($870m), Casodex ($850), Arimidex ($520m), Iressa ($230m), Nolvadex ($180m), Faslodex ($80m)
• Neuroscience ($2.8bn total)
  • Seroquel ($1.5bn), Zomig ($350m), Diprivan ($460), local anaesthetics ($470m), others ($70m)
• Infection
  • Research is ongoing into anti-bacterial agents and treatments for tuberculosis, but with no marketed products as of 2003. Newly in-licensed products include Merrem and Apatef/Cefotan.

Diversity

AstraZeneca is one of the 100 Best Companies for Working Mothers in 2004 according to Working Mothers magazine.

See also

• List of pharmaceutical companies

External links

• Official company website (http://www.astrazeneca.com/)
• Yahoo! - AstraZeneca PLC Company Profile (http://biz.yahoo.com/ic/59/59531.html)
• October 2004 New Yorker article (http://www.newyorker.com/critics/atlarge/?041025crat_atlarge)