AstraZeneca globally
A Global Company
We are a global and innovative biopharmaceutical company, focused on the discovery, development and marketing of prescription drugs. We are over 65,000, operate in more than 100 countries and our innovative medicines are used by millions of patients worldwide. We develop our activity in important areas of health care to which some of the most serious diseases in the world belong: cardiovascular, renal and metabolic; respiratory and oncological diseases.
We are driven by science, building success in our markets and therapeutic areas, while continuing to create innovative medicines and improving access to them. In this way, we are able to offer the greatest benefit to patients, health systems and societies worldwide.
As we enter the next phase in our journey, the fundamentals of our strategy and plans remain unchanged, with Product Sales Growth driving improved profitability and the generation of increasing levels of cash.
History
AstraZeneca was founded in 1999 by the merge of the Swedish laboratory Astra AB and the British pharmaceutical company Zeneca Group, two companies with cultures of strong scientific roots and a shared vision of the pharmaceutical sector. From the beginning we have developed an investment strategy in R&D that aims to give greater importance to the bioscientific centers and facilitate collaboration agreements, improve synergies through the unification of teams and optimization of the company´s available resources. The result of this thought are the agreements and acquisitions carried out in recent years.
Our strategic priorities
We have transformed our pipeline and returned to growth and, as a result of continued pipeline delivery and commercial execution, we are now entering a new stage of our journey. This is focused on enhanced innovation and the delivery of life-changing medicines that contribute value to patients and society. All this is reflected in our three strategic priorities:
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Deliver growth and therapy area leadership
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Accelerate innovative science
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Be a great place to work
- Driving growth through successful innovation and commercial excellence, and creating sustainable profitability by managing costs and scaling efficiently as we build.
- Impacting and improving the whole patient experience, from disease prevention and awareness to diagnosis, treatment, post-treatment and wellness.
- Collaborating with the funders of healthcare to increase the use of value-based pricing solutions that focus on the outcomes our medicines deliver to patients and healthcare systems.
- Advancing high-potential late-stage pipeline projects with a continued focus to ensure sustainable delivery of new products.
- Pursuing the next wave of disruptive biology with new scientific modalities, in vivo biologics and cell therapy; new technologiesand new biology, such as the microbiome.
- Accelerating efforts in artificial intelligence (AI), data science and digital technology, enabling new insights, accelerated processes and an improved patient experience and adherence.
- Making a difference to medicine and patients, delivering the next wave of science, shaping the patient ecosystem and focusing on outcomes.
- Leading in sustainability, which means improving access to healthcare, environmental protection and maintaining ethics and transparency.
- Performing as an enterprise team, building a culture of life-long learning and development and also being champions of inclusion and diversity.
- Living our values and behaviors
Leaders in science
AstraZeneca is a key partner in the current process of transformation of health systems by providing innovative solutions that allow us to face the new care, economic, social and technological paradigms. Ensuring access to healthcare for thousands of people worldwide with innovative therapies.
Our research projects form a solid portfolio of treatments at different stages of clinical development. Today, we collaborate with 55 different entities, including 5 universities, that allow us to acquire the best scientific knowledge, accelerate the development and supply of novel medicines and enhance personalized treatments.
150
Projects under investigation
1
new molecular entity approved in the last quarter
8
new molecules in the last phase of research
Our commitment to being a science-based company begins by dedicating our efforts to leadership in that area. Our goal to achieve sustainable growth is backed by a talented team and an extensive R&D platform that works every day on the development of our ambitious pipeline. We combine a unique set of knowledge, skills and experience with a passion for science. Some examples of our main assets are:
Small molecules
Our scientific heritage is grounded in pushing the boundaries of small molecule discovery and development. For decades, our scientists have led the way in identifying the right chemical leads. Our early discovery and high throughout screening capabilities enable us to screen thousands of compounds a day to identify molecules with potential to inhibit or activate the target.
Biologics
Biologicals have revolutionized medicine, treating complex diseases including various types of cancer and autoimmune disorders. For this reason, at AstraZeneca we are developing biologics in all our therapeutic areas and currently represent half of our products in the research phase.
Devices
Our goal is to offer the most innovative devices that are easy to use and improve the quality of life of patients. For example, AstraZeneca has developed devices with intelligent technology that incorporates ingenious solutions to everyday problems such as correct use, dose reminder or disease progression and control. In addition to inhalation devices, we are exploring how to continue to respond to patient needs with innovative non-oral non-inhaled treatments in our main therapeutic areas.
Immunotherapy
Immuno-oncology is a promising therapeutic approach that leverages the patient's own immune system to fight cancer. Our strategy is to develop novel combinations that act on each of the escape mechanisms that tumor cells use to escape the immune system. Our products under investigation in the field of immuno-oncology include molecules that enhance the immune response, tumor destruction or memory of immune cells and compounds that act on the microenvironment of the tumor.
Personalized healthcare
We are focused on investigating the mechanisms that cause diseases to develop novel specific treatments that act against them, as we believe that this is the real way we can make a difference in their quality of life. To achieve this, we combine the experience in the joint development with diagnostic companies, tests for the analysis of biomarkers necessary to accompany the approval of drugs with the scientific knowledge of laboratory techniques of molecular biology, tissue diagnosis, imaging and biomarkers.
Access to healthcare systems
Access to health systems at AstraZeneca goes beyond of our medicines. We provide solutions for improve health - from prevention and awareness, diagnosis, treatment until post-treatment.
Our R&D centers
We believe that the best way to challenge science is teamwork, so we work collaboratively with different organizations and entities and together with our partners in science studies and research are developed. Among the most prominent initiatives, AstraZeneca, together with its global biological research and development division, Medimmune, launched the initiative to integrate genomics and transform drug discovery and development into all its R&D projects.
Our main strategic activity is carried out in three research sites:
Cambridge
United Kingdom
One of the main centres for innovation worldwide, focused on the research and development of small molecules and biologics, maintains strong links with world-wide research institutions based in London
Gaithersburg
Maryland, United States
Location of the headquarters of Medimmune (our international division of research and development of biological products) and the first location where activities were carried out with biologics in AstraZeneca. Gaithersburg will also become the center of the company's development activities in the United States for small and large molecules.
Gothenburg
Sweden
It remains a reference center in research and development for the company, with main focus on small molecules.
Want to know more about AstraZeneca?
Visit the company's global website to Learn more about the work we do in each therapeutic area, the update of our quarterly results or work that links us with our partners.