AstraZeneca plc is a global pharmaceutical and biologics company headquartered in London, United Kingdom. It is the world's seventh-largest pharmaceutical company measured by revenues and has operations in over 100 countries. It has a portfolio of products for major disease areas including cancer,
cardiovascularThe circulatory system is an organ system that passes nutrients , gases, hormones, blood cells, etc...
, gastrointestinal,
infectionAn infection is the colonization of a host organism by parasite species. Infecting parasites seek to use the host's resources to reproduce, often resulting in disease...
,
neuroscienceNeuroscience is the scientific study of the nervous system. Traditionally, neuroscience has been seen as a branch of biology. However, it is currently an interdisciplinary science that collaborates with other fields such as chemistry, computer science, engineering, linguistics, mathematics,...
,
respiratoryThe respiratory system is the anatomical system of an organism that introduces respiratory gases to the interior and performs gas exchange. In humans and other mammals, the anatomical features of the respiratory system include airways, lungs, and the respiratory muscles...
and
inflammationInflammation is part of the complex biological response of vascular tissues to harmful stimuli, such as pathogens, damaged cells, or irritants. Inflammation is a protective attempt by the organism to remove the injurious stimuli and to initiate the healing process...
.
Its primary listing is on the
London Stock ExchangeThe London Stock Exchange is a stock exchange located in the City of London within the United Kingdom. , the Exchange had a market capitalisation of US$3.7495 trillion, making it the fourth-largest stock exchange in the world by this measurement...
and it is a constituent of the
FTSE 100 IndexThe FTSE 100 Index, also called FTSE 100, FTSE, or, informally, the footsie , is a share index of the 100 most highly capitalised UK companies listed on the London Stock Exchange....
. It has secondary listings on the
New York Stock ExchangeThe New York Stock Exchange is a stock exchange located at 11 Wall Street in Lower Manhattan, New York City, USA. It is by far the world's largest stock exchange by market capitalization of its listed companies at 13.39 trillion as of Dec 2010...
and the
OMX exchangeOMX AB is a Swedish-Finnish financial services company, formed in 2003 through a merger between OM AB and HEX plc and is now a part of the NASDAQ OMX Group since February 2008.It has two divisions, OMX Exchanges, which operates eight stock exchanges mainly in the Nordic and Baltic...
.
History
Astra ABAstra AB was a former international pharmaceutical company headquartered in Södertälje, Sweden. Astra was formed in 1913 and merged with the British Zeneca Group in 1999 to form AstraZeneca. Product development was focused on therapeutics for gastrointestinal, cardiovascular and respiratory...
was founded in 1913 by 400 doctors and apothecaries in
SödertäljeSödertälje is a city and the seat of Södertälje Municipality, Stockholm County, Sweden with 86,069 inhabitants in 2010.The industrial city, about south of Stockholm, is the home to truck maker Scania AB and a top 10 pharmaceutical company AstraZeneca....
, Sweden. In 1994 the company formed a joint venture with
MerckMerck & Co., Inc. , also known as Merck Sharp & Dohme or MSD outside the United States and Canada, is one of the largest pharmaceutical companies in the world. The Merck headquarters is located in Whitehouse Station, New Jersey, an unincorporated area in Readington Township...
to market Losec, an
ulcerA peptic ulcer, also known as PUD or peptic ulcer disease, is the most common ulcer of an area of the gastrointestinal tract that is usually acidic and thus extremely painful. It is defined as mucosal erosions equal to or greater than 0.5 cm...
-treatment drug.
In 1993 ICI demerged its pharmaceuticals businesses and its agrochemicals and specialties businesses, to form
Zeneca Group plc.
In 1999
Astra AB and
Zeneca Group plc merged to form
AstraZeneca plc.
In 2005 the company announced an arrangement with
AstexAstex Therapeutics is a biotechnology company focused on the discovery and development of drugs in oncology and other areas. Astex was founded in 1999 by Sir Tom Blundell, Chris Abell & Harren Jhoti, and is located in Cambridge, UK....
for the discovery, development and commercialisation of novel small molecule inhibitors of
protein kinase BAkt, also known as Protein Kinase B , is a serine/threonine protein kinase that plays a key role in multiple cellular processes such as glucose metabolism, cell proliferation, apoptosis, transcription and cell migration.-Family members:...
for use as
anti-cancer agentsChemotherapy is the treatment of cancer with an antineoplastic drug or with a combination of such drugs into a standardized treatment regimen....
. In the same year it announced a collaboration with Avanir for research and licensing in the area of
reverse cholesterol transportReverse cholesterol transport is a multi-step process resulting in the net movement of cholesterol from peripheral tissues back to the liver via the plasma....
(RCT) enhancing compounds for the treatment of
cardiovascular diseaseHeart disease or cardiovascular disease are the class of diseases that involve the heart or blood vessels . While the term technically refers to any disease that affects the cardiovascular system , it is usually used to refer to those related to atherosclerosis...
. It also announced an alliance with
Schering AGSchering-Plough Corporation was a United States-based pharmaceutical company. It was founded in 1851 by Ernst Christian Friedrich Schering as Schering AG in Germany. In 1971, the Schering Corporation merged with Plough to form Schering-Plough. On November 4, 2009 Merck & Co...
for research and licensing in the area of
selective glucocorticoid receptor agonistA selective glucocorticoid receptor agonist , sometimes called a dissociated glucocorticoid receptor agonist , is a type of experimental drug that is designed to share many of the desirable anti-inflammatory and immunosuppressive properties of classical glucocorticoid drugs but with fewer side...
s (SEGRAs). It also announced that it had become a Diamond Member of the Pennsylvania Bio commerce organization.
In 2006, following a collaborative relationship begun in 2004, AstraZeneca acquired
Cambridge Antibody TechnologyCambridge Antibody Technology was a biotechnology company headquartered in Cambridge, United Kingdom...
.
Also in 2006 it formed an alliance with
Abbott LaboratoriesAbbott Laboratories is an American-based global, diversified pharmaceuticals and health care products company. It has 90,000 employees and operates in over 130 countries. The company headquarters are in Abbott Park, North Chicago, Illinois. The company was founded by Chicago physician, Dr....
in relation to Crestor and TriCor, commencing that year and extending to at least 2009.
In 2007 it reported that it had entered into an alliance with
Bristol-Myers SquibbBristol-Myers Squibb , often referred to as BMS, is a pharmaceutical company, headquartered in New York City. The company was formed in 1989, following the merger of its predecessors Bristol-Myers and the Squibb Corporation...
to form a global collaboration to develop and commercialise two investigational drugs (
saxagliptinSaxagliptin , previously identified as BMS-477118, is a new oral hypoglycemic of the new dipeptidyl peptidase-4 inhibitor class of drugs. Early development was solely by Bristol-Myers Squibb; in 2007 AstraZeneca joined with Bristol-Myers Squibb to co-develop the final compound and collaborate on...
and
dapagliflozinDapagliflozin is an experimental drug being studied by Bristol-Myers Squibb in partnership with AstraZeneca as a potential treatment for type 1 and 2 diabetes...
) beginning from 2007.
Also in 2007 AstraZeneca acquired American company
MedImmuneMedImmune, LLC, headquartered in Gaithersburg, Maryland, became a wholly owned subsidiary of AstraZeneca in 2007. Since being acquired, MedImmune has remained a Maryland-based biotechnology development enterprise...
for about $15.2 billion. AstraZeneca consolidated its biologics portfolio in MedImmune and Cambridge Antibody Technology which was rebranded to create a dedicated biologics division known as 'MedImmune'.
Operations
AstraZeneca develops, manufactures, and sells pharmaceuticals to treat disorders in the
gastrointestinalGastroenterology is the branch of medicine whereby the digestive system and its disorders are studied. The name is a combination of three Ancient Greek words gaster , enteron , and logos...
,
cardiacCardiology is a medical specialty dealing with disorders of the heart . The field includes diagnosis and treatment of congenital heart defects, coronary artery disease, heart failure, valvular heart disease and electrophysiology...
and
vascularThe blood vessels are the part of the circulatory system that transports blood throughout the body. There are three major types of blood vessels: the arteries, which carry the blood away from the heart; the capillaries, which enable the actual exchange of water and chemicals between the blood and...
,
neurologicalNeurology is a medical specialty dealing with disorders of the nervous system. Specifically, it deals with the diagnosis and treatment of all categories of disease involving the central, peripheral, and autonomic nervous systems, including their coverings, blood vessels, and all effector tissue,...
and
psychiatricPsychiatry is the medical specialty devoted to the study and treatment of mental disorders. These mental disorders include various affective, behavioural, cognitive and perceptual abnormalities...
,
infectionInfectious diseases, also known as communicable diseases, contagious diseases or transmissible diseases comprise clinically evident illness resulting from the infection, presence and growth of pathogenic biological agents in an individual host organism...
,
respiratoryIn medicine, pulmonology is the specialty that deals with diseases of the respiratory tract and respiratory disease. It is called chest medicine and respiratory medicine in some countries and areas...
,
pathological inflammationInflammation is part of the complex biological response of vascular tissues to harmful stimuli, such as pathogens, damaged cells, or irritants. Inflammation is a protective attempt by the organism to remove the injurious stimuli and to initiate the healing process...
and
oncologyOncology is a branch of medicine that deals with cancer...
areas.
The corporate headquarters are in London, United Kingdom and
research and developmentThe phrase research and development , according to the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development, refers to "creative work undertaken on a systematic basis in order to increase the stock of knowledge, including knowledge of man, culture and society, and the use of this stock of...
(R&D) headquarters are in
SödertäljeSödertälje is a city and the seat of Södertälje Municipality, Stockholm County, Sweden with 86,069 inhabitants in 2010.The industrial city, about south of Stockholm, is the home to truck maker Scania AB and a top 10 pharmaceutical company AstraZeneca....
, Sweden. The company employs over 11,000 people at research facilities in the United Kingdom, United States, Sweden, France, Canada, India, China and Japan.
The company's largest single research and development site is at Alderley Park (a large country estate on the east side of the
A34 roadThe A34 is a major road in England. It runs from the A6042 in Salford to Winchester in Hampshire. It forms a large part of the major trunk route from Southampton, via Oxford, to Birmingham, The Potteries and Manchester...
north of the Monk's Heath crossroads) in
CheshireCheshire is a ceremonial county in North West England. Cheshire's county town is the city of Chester, although its largest town is Warrington. Other major towns include Widnes, Congleton, Crewe, Ellesmere Port, Runcorn, Macclesfield, Winsford, Northwich, and Wilmslow...
in England. There around 4,500 staff are based.
The company has a major research and development presence in Sweden, with approximately 4,000 staff employed at research facilities primarily in
MölndalMölndal is a part of the Gothenburg urban area on the west-coast of Sweden, and constitutes the administrative centre of Mölndal Municipality. About 40,000 of the municipality's 60,000 inhabitants live here.-Geography:...
and production and development in
SödertäljeSödertälje is a city and the seat of Södertälje Municipality, Stockholm County, Sweden with 86,069 inhabitants in 2010.The industrial city, about south of Stockholm, is the home to truck maker Scania AB and a top 10 pharmaceutical company AstraZeneca....
.
Products
AstraZeneca specialises in prescription medicines to fight disease in several therapeutic areas. Year-on sales information can be found through AstraZeneca
annual reportAn annual report is a comprehensive report on a company's activities throughout the preceding year. Annual reports are intended to give shareholders and other interested people information about the company's activities and financial performance...
s. The following is a list of key products found on the AstraZeneca website.
Generic- drugA generic drug is a drug defined as "a drug product that is comparable to brand/reference listed drug product in dosage form, strength, route of administration, quality and performance characteristics, and intended use." It has also been defined as a term referring to any drug marketed under its...
names are given in parentheses following the brand name.
– Anaesthetics
- Carbocaine (mepivacaine
Mepivacaine is a local anesthetic of the amide type. Mepivacaine has a reasonably rapid onset and medium duration of action and is marketed under various trade names including Carbocaine and Polocaine.Mepivacaine became available in the United States in the 1960s.Mepivacaine is used in any...
)
- Citanest (prilocaine
Prilocaine is a local anesthetic of the amino amide type first prepared by Claes Tegner and Nils Lofgren. In its injectable form , it is often used in dentistry. It is also often combined with lidocaine as a preparation for dermal anesthesia , for treatment of conditions like paresthesia...
)
- Diprivan (propofol
Propofol is a short-acting, intravenously administered hypnotic agent. Its uses include the induction and maintenance of general anesthesia, sedation for mechanically ventilated adults, and procedural sedation. Propofol is also commonly used in veterinary medicine...
)
- EMLA (lidocaine/prilocaine
Lidocaine/prilocaine is a eutectic mixture of equal quantities of lidocaine and prilocaine. A 5% emulsion preparation, containing 2.5% each of lidocaine/prilocaine, is marketed by APP Pharmaceuticals under the trade name EMLA .-Eutectic mixture:Separately, lidocaine and prilocaine are solid bases...
)
- Marcaine and Sensorcaine (bupivacaine
Bupivacaine is a local anaesthetic drug belonging to the amino amide group. AstraZeneca commonly markets it under various trade names, including Marcain, Marcaine, Sensorcaine and Vivacaine.-Indications:...
)
- Naropin (ropivacaine
Ropivacaine is a local anaesthetic drug belonging to the amino amide group. The name ropivacaine refers to both the racemate and the marketed S-enantiomer...
)
- Xylocaine (lidocaine
Lidocaine , Xylocaine, or lignocaine is a common local anesthetic and antiarrhythmic drug. Lidocaine is used topically to relieve itching, burning and pain from skin inflammations, injected as a dental anesthetic or as a local anesthetic for minor surgery.- History :Lidocaine, the first amino...
)
- Xyloproct (lidocaine/hydrocortisone)
-Cardiovascular
- Atacand (candesartan cilexetil)
- Betaloc (metoprolol
Metoprolol is a selective β1 receptor blocker used in treatment of several diseases of the cardiovascular system, especially hypertension. The active substance metoprolol is employed either as metoprolol succinate or metoprolol tartrate...
)
- Brilinta (ticagrelor
Ticagrelor is a platelet aggregation inhibitor produced by AstraZeneca. The drug was approved for use in the European Union by the European Commission on December 3, 2010...
)
- Crestor (rosuvastatin
Rosuvastatin is a member of the drug class of statins, used to treat high cholesterol and related conditions, and to prevent cardiovascular disease. It was developed by Shionogi.-Medical uses:The primary uses of rosuvastatin is for the treatment of dyslipidemia...
; 2003 launch)
- Exanta (ximelagatran
Ximelagatran is an anticoagulant that has been investigated extensively as a replacement for warfarin that would overcome the problematic dietary, drug interaction, and monitoring issues associated with warfarin therapy...
; 2004 launch; not approved in the U.S., now withdrawn)
- Imdur (isosorbide mononitrate)
- Inderal (propranolol)
- Lexxel (enalapril
Enalapril is an angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitor used in the treatment of hypertension and some types of chronic heart failure. ACE raises blood pressure by constricting blood vessels. ACE inhibitors like enalapril prevent this effect. Enalapril has been shown to lower the death rate in...
/felodipineFelodipine is a calcium channel blocker , a drug used to control hypertension . It is marketed under the brand name Plendil by AstraZeneca and Renedil by Sanofi-Aventis...
- Logimax (felodipine
Felodipine is a calcium channel blocker , a drug used to control hypertension . It is marketed under the brand name Plendil by AstraZeneca and Renedil by Sanofi-Aventis...
/metoprololMetoprolol is a selective β1 receptor blocker used in treatment of several diseases of the cardiovascular system, especially hypertension. The active substance metoprolol is employed either as metoprolol succinate or metoprolol tartrate...
- Nif-Ten (nifedipine
Nifedipine is a dihydropyridine calcium channel blocker...
/atenolol)
- Plendil (felodipine
Felodipine is a calcium channel blocker , a drug used to control hypertension . It is marketed under the brand name Plendil by AstraZeneca and Renedil by Sanofi-Aventis...
)
- Ramace (ramipril
Ramipril is an angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor, used to treat high blood pressure and congestive heart failure.-Mechanism of action:ACE inhibitors lower the...
)
- Seloken XL and Toprol-XL (metoprolol
Metoprolol is a selective β1 receptor blocker used in treatment of several diseases of the cardiovascular system, especially hypertension. The active substance metoprolol is employed either as metoprolol succinate or metoprolol tartrate...
;
- Tenoretic
Tenoretic is a combination of two drugs prescribed for hypertension - atenolol and chlorthalidone. Atenolol is a cardio-selective beta-blocker. Chlorthalidone is a diuretic. Tenoretic is not indicated for the initial treatment of hypertension but combines two effective drugs in a convenient...
(atenolol/chlortalidoneChlortalidone or chlorthalidone is a diuretic drug used to treat hypertension, originally marketed as Hygroton in the USA. It is described as a thiazide diuretic...
)
- Tenormin (atenolol)
- Unimax (felodipine
Felodipine is a calcium channel blocker , a drug used to control hypertension . It is marketed under the brand name Plendil by AstraZeneca and Renedil by Sanofi-Aventis...
/ramiprilRamipril is an angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor, used to treat high blood pressure and congestive heart failure.-Mechanism of action:ACE inhibitors lower the...
)
- Zestoretic
Lisinopril/hydrochlorothiazide is a combination of the drugs lisinopril, an ACE inhibitor, and hydrochlorothiazide, a diuretic. It is used to control hypertension....
(lisinoprilLisinopril is a drug of the angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor class that is primarily used in treatment of hypertension, congestive heart failure, and heart attacks and also in preventing renal and retinal complications of diabetes. Its indications, contraindications and side effects are as...
/hydrochlorothiazideHydrochlorothiazide, abbreviated HCTZ, HCT, or HZT, is a first-line diuretic drug of the thiazide class that acts by inhibiting the kidneys' ability to retain water. This reduces the volume of the blood, decreasing blood return to the heart and thus cardiac output and, by other mechanisms, is...
)
- Zestril (lisinopril
Lisinopril is a drug of the angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor class that is primarily used in treatment of hypertension, congestive heart failure, and heart attacks and also in preventing renal and retinal complications of diabetes. Its indications, contraindications and side effects are as...
)
-Gastrointestinal
- Entocort (budesonide
Budesonide is a glucocorticoid steroid for the treatment of asthma and non-infectious rhinitis , and for treatment and prevention of nasal polyposis...
)
- Losec and Prilosec (omeprazole
Omeprazole is a proton pump inhibitor used in the treatment of dyspepsia, peptic ulcer disease , gastroesophageal reflux disease , laryngopharyngeal reflux and Zollinger–Ellison syndrome...
)
- Nexium (esomeprazole
Esomeprazole is a proton pump inhibitor developed and marketed by AstraZeneca which is used in the treatment of dyspepsia, peptic ulcer disease , gastroesophageal reflux disease and Zollinger-Ellison syndrome...
; S-stereoisomerStereoisomers are isomeric molecules that have the same molecular formula and sequence of bonded atoms , but that differ only in the three-dimensional orientations of their atoms in space. This contrasts with structural isomers, which share the same molecular formula, but the bond connections...
of Losec)
- Vimovo (naproxen
Naproxen sodium is a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug commonly used for the reduction of pain, fever, inflammation and stiffness caused by conditions such as:...
/esomeprazoleEsomeprazole is a proton pump inhibitor developed and marketed by AstraZeneca which is used in the treatment of dyspepsia, peptic ulcer disease , gastroesophageal reflux disease and Zollinger-Ellison syndrome...
)
–
InfectionAn infection is the colonization of a host organism by parasite species. Infecting parasites seek to use the host's resources to reproduce, often resulting in disease...
- Apatef and Cefotan (cefotetan
Cefotetan is an injectable antibiotic of the cephamycin type for prophylaxis and treatment of bacterial infections. It is often grouped together with second-generation cephalosporins and has a similar antibacterial spectrum, but with additional anti-anaerobe coverage.Cefotetan was developed by...
)
- Avloclor (chloroquine
Chloroquine is a 4-aminoquinoline drug used in the treatment or prevention of malaria.-History:Chloroquine , N'--N,N-diethyl-pentane-1,4-diamine, was discovered in 1934 by Hans Andersag and co-workers at the Bayer laboratories who named it "Resochin". It was ignored for a decade because it was...
)
- Cubicin (daptomycin
Daptomycin is a novel lipopeptide antibiotic used in the treatment of certain infections caused by Gram-positive organisms. It is a naturally occurring compound found in the soil saprotroph Streptomyces roseosporus. Its distinct mechanism of action means that it may be useful in treating infections...
)
- Paludrine (proguanil
Proguanil is a prophylactic antimalarial drug.Proguanil is effective against sporozoites.Proguanil hydrochloride is marketed as Paludrine by AstraZeneca.-Mechanism:...
)
- Foscavir (foscarnet
Foscarnet is the conjugate base of the chemical compound with the formula HO2CPO3H2.-Uses:This phosphonic acid derivative is an antiviral medication used to treat herpes viruses, including drug resistant cytomegalovirus and herpes simplex viruses types 1 and 2...
)
- Lexinor (norfloxacin
Norfloxacin is a synthetic chemotherapeutic antibacterial agent occasionally used to treat common as well as complicated urinary tract infections. It is sold under various brand names with the most common being Noroxin. In form of ophthalmic solutions it is known as Chibroxin...
)
- Merrem and Meronem (meropenem
Meropenem is an ultra-broad spectrum injectable antibiotic used to treat a wide variety of infections, including meningitis and pneumonia. It is a beta-lactam and belongs to the subgroup of carbapenem, similar to imipenem and ertapenem. Meropenem was originally developed by Sumitomo Pharmaceuticals...
)
-
NeuroscienceNeuroscience is the scientific study of the nervous system. Traditionally, neuroscience has been seen as a branch of biology. However, it is currently an interdisciplinary science that collaborates with other fields such as chemistry, computer science, engineering, linguistics, mathematics,...
- Heminevrin (clomethiazole
Clomethiazole is a sedative and hypnotic originally developed by Hoffmann-Le Roche in the 1930s. The drug is used in treating and preventing symptoms of acute alcohol withdrawal....
)
- Mysoline (primidone
Primidone is an anticonvulsant of the pyrimidinedione class, the active metabolites of which, phenobarbital and phenylethylmalonamide , are also anticonvulsants...
; handed over to Acorus Therapeutics Ltd. in July 2004)
- Seroquel (quetiapine
Quetiapine , is an atypical antipsychotic approved for the treatment of schizophrenia, and bipolar disorder....
)
- Seroquel XR ([quetiapine extended release])
- Vivalan (viloxazine
Viloxazine is a bicyclic antidepressant morpholine derivative that acts as a selective norepinephrine reuptake inhibitor...
)
- Zomig (zolmitriptan
Zolmitriptan is a selective serotonin receptor agonist of the 1B and 1D subtypes. It is a triptan, used in the acute treatment of migraine attacks with or without aura and cluster headaches....
)
-
OncologyOncology is a branch of medicine that deals with cancer...
- Arimidex (anastrozole
Anastrozole is an aromatase-inhibiting drug approved for treatment of breast cancer after surgery, as well as for metastasis in both pre and post-menopausal women. The severity of breast cancer is increased by estrogen, as sex hormones cause hyperplasia, and differentiation at estrogen receptor...
)
- Casodex (bicalutamide
Bicalutamide is an oral non-steroidal anti-androgen used in the treatment of prostate cancer and hirsutism...
)
- Faslodex (fulvestrant
Fulvestrant, also known as ICI 182,780, is a drug treatment of hormone receptor-positive metastatic breast cancer in postmenopausal women with disease progression following anti-estrogen therapy. It is an estrogen receptor antagonist with no agonist effects, which works both by down-regulating and...
)
- Iressa (gefitinib
Gefitinib INN , trade name Iressa, is a drug used in the treatment of certain types of cancer, particularly those with mutated and overactive EGFR. Gefitinib is an EGFR inhibitor, like erlotinib, which interrupts signaling through the epidermal growth factor receptor in target cells...
)
- Nolvadex (tamoxifen
Tamoxifen is an antagonist of the estrogen receptor in breast tissue via its active metabolite, hydroxytamoxifen. In other tissues such as the endometrium, it behaves as an agonist, hence tamoxifen may be characterized as a mixed agonist/antagonist...
)
- Tomudex (raltitrexed
Raltitrexed is an antimetabolite drug used in cancer chemotherapy. It is an inhibitor of thymidylate synthase, and is manufactured by AstraZeneca.-Mechanism of action:...
)
- Zoladex (goserelin
Goserelin acetate is an injectable gonadotropin releasing hormone superagonist , also known as a luteinizing hormone releasing hormone agonist. Structurally, it is a decapeptide...
)
- Caprelsa (vandetanib
Vandetanib , also known as ZD6474, is an antagonist of the vascular endothelial growth factor receptor and the epidermal growth factor receptor ....
)
- in development
- Recentin (cediranib
Cediranib , also known as AZD2171, is a potent inhibitor of vascular endothelial growth factor receptor tyrosine kinases....
)
-
Respiratory'In physiology, respiration is defined as the transport of oxygen from the outside air to the cells within tissues, and the transport of carbon dioxide in the opposite direction...
and Inflammation
- Accolate (zafirlukast
Zafirlukast is an oral leukotriene receptor antagonist for the maintenance treatment of asthma, often used in conjunction with an inhaled steroid and/or long-acting bronchodilator. It is available as a tablet and is usually dosed twice daily. Another leukotriene receptor antagonist is montelukast...
)
- Bambec (bambuterol
Bambuterol is a long acting beta-adrenoceptor agonist used in the treatment of asthma; it also is a prodrug of terbutaline. Commercially, the AstraZeneca pharmaceutical company produces and markets bambuterol as Bambec and Oxeol ....
)
- Bricanyl (terbutaline
Terbutaline is a β2-adrenergic receptor agonist.Terbutaline is currently on the World Anti-Doping Agency's list of prohibited drugs for Olympic athletes, except when administered by inhalation and a Therapeutic Use Exemption has been obtained in advance.Terbutaline is currently used to delay...
)
- Oxis (formoterol
Formoterol or eformoterol is a long-acting β2-agonist used in the management of asthma and/or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease...
)
- Pulmicort, Rhinocort (budesonide
Budesonide is a glucocorticoid steroid for the treatment of asthma and non-infectious rhinitis , and for treatment and prevention of nasal polyposis...
)
- Symbicort (budesonide/formoterol
Budesonide/formoterol is a combination formulation containing budesonide and formoterol used in the management of asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease in the EU...
)
Seroquel: adverse effects and trial procedures
AstraZeneca has stated that the
atypical-antipsychoticThe atypical antipsychotics are a group of antipsychotic tranquilizing drugs used to treat psychiatric conditions. Some atypical antipsychotics are FDA approved for use in the treatment of schizophrenia...
drug,
SeroquelQuetiapine , is an atypical antipsychotic approved for the treatment of schizophrenia, and bipolar disorder....
, is the subject of four
class-actionIn law, a class action, a class suit, or a representative action is a form of lawsuit in which a large group of people collectively bring a claim to court and/or in which a class of defendants is being sued...
lawsuitA lawsuit or "suit in law" is a civil action brought in a court of law in which a plaintiff, a party who claims to have incurred loss as a result of a defendant's actions, demands a legal or equitable remedy. The defendant is required to respond to the plaintiff's complaint...
s in Canada. Also, in the U.S., there were multiple
product-liabilityProduct liability is the area of law in which manufacturers, distributors, suppliers, retailers, and others who make products available to the public are held responsible for the injuries those products cause...
cases alleging
personal injuryPersonal injury is a legal term for an injury to the body, mind or emotions, as opposed to an injury to property. The term is most commonly used to refer to a type of tort lawsuit alleging that the plaintiff's injury has been caused by the negligence of another, but also arises in defamation...
, namely, that Seroquel caused people to develop diabetes.
The company has indicated its intention to seek approval for Seroquel to treat psychiatric conditions such as depression and general
anxiety disorderAnxiety disorder is a blanket term covering several different forms of abnormal and pathological fear and anxiety. Conditions now considered anxiety disorders only came under the aegis of psychiatry at the end of the 19th century. Gelder, Mayou & Geddes explains that anxiety disorders are...
.
Note as well that scientific findings regarding a new sustained-release form of the drug were announced at a conference in
MadridMadrid is the capital and largest city of Spain. The population of the city is roughly 3.3 million and the entire population of the Madrid metropolitan area is calculated to be 6.271 million. It is the third largest city in the European Union, after London and Berlin, and its metropolitan...
, Spain, in March 2007. At the time the data regarding the new drug were discussed, the drug had not been approved for sale by any health regulatory body in any country.
During 2005 and 2006
clinical trialClinical trials are a set of procedures in medical research and drug development that are conducted to allow safety and efficacy data to be collected for health interventions...
s were carried out to examine the possibilities of further development of Seroquel. Test persons were recruited from research centres in Russia, Ukraine, Poland, Bulgaria and India. As part of the trials half of the test persons were given a
placeboA placebo is a simulated or otherwise medically ineffectual treatment for a disease or other medical condition intended to deceive the recipient...
and stopped their medication. As a result thirty-six test persons relapsed into illness. One test person committed suicide, possibly as a result of quitting his medication. AstraZeneca denied that the suicide was related to the testing procedures. Ethical concerns were raised over the issue of carrying out trials in less-developed countries because of lower requirements for getting trials approved and overall lower trial costs.
In 2008, 45% of the test persons in AstraZeneca medical trials came from Asia;
EasternEastern Europe is the eastern part of Europe. The term has widely disparate geopolitical, geographical, cultural and socioeconomic readings, which makes it highly context-dependent and even volatile, and there are "almost as many definitions of Eastern Europe as there are scholars of the region"...
- and Central Europe; and South America. The same year 13.5% of the total sales were made in these regions. In contrast 86% of total sales were made in Japan, North America and Western Europe.
In March 2011, AstraZeneca settled a
lawsuitA lawsuit or "suit in law" is a civil action brought in a court of law in which a plaintiff, a party who claims to have incurred loss as a result of a defendant's actions, demands a legal or equitable remedy. The defendant is required to respond to the plaintiff's complaint...
in the United States totaling $68.5 million dollars to be divided up to 38 states. Claims were made against AstraZeneca that it promoted Seroquel's use in children and adolescents long before establishing that it was
safeA safe is a secure lockable box used for securing valuable objects against theft or damage. A safe is usually a hollow cuboid or cylinder, with one face removable or hinged to form a door. The body and door may be cast from metal or formed out of plastic through blow molding...
or effective for any use in this population. Furthermore, it was found that patients experienced very serious
side effectsSide Effects is an anthology of 17 comical short stories written by Woody Allen between 1975 and 1980, all but one of which were previously published in, variously, The New Republic, The New York Times, The New Yorker, and The Kenyon Review. It includes Allen's 1978 O...
, including
weight gainWeight gain is an increase in body weight. This can be either an increase in muscle mass, fat deposits, or excess fluids such as water.-Description:...
, diabetes and heart problems. AstraZeneca has been caught in a number of lawsuits stemming from deceptive and unfair promotion of Seroquel, and this is not the first series of settlements.
Late-stage trial failures
Recently, AstraZeneca has experienced a run of failures of drugs in late-stage clinical trials. These include Galida for diabetes, and
ExantaXimelagatran is an anticoagulant that has been investigated extensively as a replacement for warfarin that would overcome the problematic dietary, drug interaction, and monitoring issues associated with warfarin therapy...
to prevent
thrombosisThrombosis is the formation of a blood clot inside a blood vessel, obstructing the flow of blood through the circulatory system. When a blood vessel is injured, the body uses platelets and fibrin to form a blood clot to prevent blood loss...
. Other drugs with late-failing trials include NXY-059 for acute ischemic stroke,
IressaGefitinib INN , trade name Iressa, is a drug used in the treatment of certain types of cancer, particularly those with mutated and overactive EGFR. Gefitinib is an EGFR inhibitor, like erlotinib, which interrupts signaling through the epidermal growth factor receptor in target cells...
for lung cancer, and AGI-1067 for prevention of
atherosclerosisAtherosclerosis is a condition in which an artery wall thickens as a result of the accumulation of fatty materials such as cholesterol...
. With patents expiring on older drugs, this threatens future revenue growth.
MedImmune takeover
After this long run of failed late-stage clinical trials, on 19 June 2007 AstraZeneca completed the acquisition of vaccine maker MedImmune, paying $15.2 billion primarily for its drug-development pipeline. Analysts have criticised this take-over, claiming that AstraZeneca paid too much. AstraZeneca consolidated its biologics portfolio in MedImmune and Cambridge Antibody Technology (acquired in 2007). This biologics portfolio was then rebranded to create a dedicated, global biologics organisation known as 'MedImmune'. Amid allegations of broken promises over this consolidation, AstraZeneca presented the new MedImmune to investors on 7 December 2007.
Nexium
The company's most successful medication is
esomeprazoleEsomeprazole is a proton pump inhibitor developed and marketed by AstraZeneca which is used in the treatment of dyspepsia, peptic ulcer disease , gastroesophageal reflux disease and Zollinger-Ellison syndrome...
. When it is manufactured the result is a mixture of two
mirror-imaged moleculesIn chemistry, an enantiomer is one of two stereoisomers that are mirror images of each other that are non-superposable , much as one's left and right hands are the same except for opposite orientation. It can be clearly understood if you try to place your hands one over the other without...
, R and S. Both are converted to the same active molecule in the body. Two years before the omeprazole patent expired AstraZeneca patented S-omeprazole in pure form, pointing that since some people metabolise R-omeprazole slowly, pure S-omeprazole treatment would give higher dose efficiency and less interindividual variation. The company marketed
NexiumEsomeprazole is a proton pump inhibitor developed and marketed by AstraZeneca which is used in the treatment of dyspepsia, peptic ulcer disease , gastroesophageal reflux disease and Zollinger-Ellison syndrome...
, as it would a brand new drug. This practice is criticised because it maintains the profits of drug companies at the expense of patients and public healthcare systems.
On 16 August 2007,
Marcia AngellMarcia Angell, M.D. is an American physician, author, and the first woman to serve as editor-in-chief of the New England Journal of Medicine...
, former
editor-in-chiefAn editor-in-chief is a publication's primary editor, having final responsibility for the operations and policies. Additionally, the editor-in-chief is held accountable for delegating tasks to staff members as well as keeping up with the time it takes them to complete their task...
of the
New England Journal of MedicineThe New England Journal of Medicine is an English-language peer-reviewed medical journal published by the Massachusetts Medical Society. It describes itself as the oldest continuously published medical journal in the world.-History:...
and a lecturer in
social medicineThe field of social medicine seeks to:# understand how social and economic conditions impact health, disease and the practice of medicine and# foster conditions in which this understanding can lead to a healthier society....
at the
Harvard Medical SchoolHarvard Medical School is the graduate medical school of Harvard University. It is located in the Longwood Medical Area of the Mission Hill neighborhood of Boston, Massachusetts....
, alleged in
SternStern is a weekly news magazine published in Germany. It was founded in 1948 by Henri Nannen, and is currently published by Gruner + Jahr, a subsidiary of Bertelsmann. In the first quarter of 2006, its print run was 1.019 million copies and it reached 7.84 million readers according to...
, a German language, weekly newsmagazine, that AstraZeneca's scientists had doctored their research on the drug's efficiency:
Nexium is also alleged by the authors to be "the top of the list" of medications which are marketed by pharmaceutical companies directly to doctors, who receive gifts of money and/or goods when they prescribe the medication in question. As a reason for the company's behaviour, it is alleged that the German public healthcare system spends an additional $139.50 million at time of reporting--> per annum on Nexium as compared to using omeprazole, which however would be less profitable for the company as its patent protection has expired.
Corporate sexual harassment
Confronted by
allegationAn allegation is a claim of a fact by a party in a pleading, which the party claims to be able to prove. Allegations remain assertions without proof, until they can be proved....
s in a 13 May 1996,
Business Week cover storyCover story may refer to:* a story in a magazine whose subject matter appears on its front cover* a fictitious account that is intended to hide one's real motive, e.g. when a terrorist pretends to be farmer to buy fertilizer or to provide an explanation in case it is found; the story in the case of...
, of widespread
sexual harassmentSexual harassment, is intimidation, bullying or coercion of a sexual nature, or the unwelcome or inappropriate promise of rewards in exchange for sexual favors. In some contexts or circumstances, sexual harassment is illegal. It includes a range of behavior from seemingly mild transgressions and...
and other abuses, Astra USA Inc.
suspendedSuspension is a form of punishment that people receive for violating rules and regulations.- Workplace :Suspension is a common practice in the workplace for being in violation of an organization's policy...
three top
executivePublicly and privately held for-profit corporations confer corporate titles or business titles on company officials as a means of identifying their function in the organization...
s and launched an internal probe.
Astra USA agreed to pay $10 million to settle a lawsuit brought by at least seventy-nine women and one man against the company. The suit accused Astra's former president and other executives of pressuring female employees for sex and replacing older workers with younger, more attractive women.
Bildman fraud
On 4 February 1998, Astra USA sued Lars Bildman, its former president and chief executive officer, seeking $15 million for
defraudingIn criminal law, a fraud is an intentional deception made for personal gain or to damage another individual; the related adjective is fraudulent. The specific legal definition varies by legal jurisdiction. Fraud is a crime, and also a civil law violation...
the company. The sum included $2.3 million in company funds he allegedly used to fix up three of his homes, plus money the company paid as the result of the EEOC investigation. Astra's lawsuit alleged Bildman sexually harassed and intimidated employees, used company funds for
yachtA yacht is a recreational boat or ship. The term originated from the Dutch Jacht meaning "hunt". It was originally defined as a light fast sailing vessel used by the Dutch navy to pursue pirates and other transgressors around and into the shallow waters of the Low Countries...
s and prostitutes, destroyed
documentThe term document has multiple meanings in ordinary language and in scholarship. WordNet 3.1. lists four meanings :* document, written document, papers...
s and
recordA business record is a document that records a business dealing. Business records include meeting minutes, memoranda, employment contracts, and accounting source documents....
s, and concocted "tales of
conspiracyIn the criminal law, a conspiracy is an agreement between two or more persons to break the law at some time in the future, and, in some cases, with at least one overt act in furtherance of that agreement...
involving ex-
KGBThe KGB was the commonly used acronym for the . It was the national security agency of the Soviet Union from 1954 until 1991, and was the premier internal security, intelligence, and secret police organization during that time.The State Security Agency of the Republic of Belarus currently uses the...
agentEspionage or spying involves an individual obtaining information that is considered secret or confidential without the permission of the holder of the information. Espionage is inherently clandestine, lest the legitimate holder of the information change plans or take other countermeasures once it...
s and competitors … in a last-ditch effort to distract attention from the real wrongdoer, Bildman himself." Bildman had already plead guilty in U.S. District Court for failing to report more than $1 million in income on his
tax returnA tax return is a tax form that can be filed with a government body to declare liability for taxation in various countries:* Tax return * Tax return * Tax return * Tax return...
s; in addition, several female co-workers filed personal sexual-harassment lawsuits.
Nobel Prize investigation 2008
In 2008, the award of the Nobel Prize in Medicine for cancer-related research on Human Papilloma Virus (HPV) by
Harald zur HausenHarald zur Hausen is a German virologist and professor emeritus. He has done research on cancer of the cervix, where he discovered the role of papilloma viruses, for which he received the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine 2008.-Biography:Zur Hausen was born in Gelsenkirchen, Germany, went to...
was being looked into by the Swedish police anticorruption unit. The reason was that AstraZeneca, which has a stake in two lucrative HPV vaccines and thus stands to gain financially from the prize, had agreed to sponsor Nobel Media and Nobel Web. Investigations were focused on whether AstraZeneca could have exerted undue influence on the award. According to Times Online, two senior figures in the process that chose zur Hausen also had strong links with AstraZeneca.
Transfer mispricing
In 2010, AstraZeneca agreed to pay £505m to settle UK tax dispute, relating to transfer mispricing.
Senior management
The senior executive team is composed of David Brennan, Simon Lowth, John Patterson, Tony Zook, David Mott, Bruno Angelici, Lynn Tetrault and David Smith. As of 2008, Brennan is paid $1,574,144 for his role as chief executive officer.
See also
External links
- AstraZeneca PLC Company Profile on Yahoo!
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