AstraZeneca applauds PhRMA and fellow member companies for agreeing to voluntary direct-to-consumer advertising guidelines. This represents an important step in the Association's efforts to support the use of DTC as an invaluable educational tool. AstraZeneca fully supports the PhRMA guidelines and commits to applying both the letter and spirit of the guidelines in its advertising.

Early last spring, AstraZeneca established its own internal guidelines for DTC advertising, focusing on educating consumers on specific product benefits and disease awareness information; appropriately communicating benefit/risk information as clearly as possible so that consumers can have a more informed conversation with their physicians; continuing to develop communications that are responsible in tone and content by encouraging dialogue between patients and physicians; and providing information on how patients who are uninsured and in financial need can easily contact AstraZeneca to gain access to patient assistance programs.

AstraZeneca is living up to its own commitment in its most recent television advertisements for two of our flagship products, CRESTOR® (rosuvastatin) and NEXIUM® (esomeprazole magnesium). In fact, we are the first company to use television to provide patient assistance information in our product ads for those unable to afford their medicines.

In addition to our support for the PhRMA DTC guidelines, we believe that a dialogue must continue between the industry, legislators and the FDA to enhance the ability of the FDA to review DTC ads. For example, while the present system and the PhRMA principles support the notion of sending ads to the FDA prior to airing, AstraZeneca believes that the FDA should have additional resources to permit adequate review and provide approval of advertisements prior to their use. Such a step would be in the best interest of patients and physicians.

Providing accurate and timely information about disease and treatment options is a critical component in encouraging a constructive, open and informed dialogue between patients and physicians. We believe that improved healthcare is the result.

AstraZeneca is a major international healthcare business engaged in the research, development, manufacture and marketing of prescription pharmaceuticals and the supply of healthcare services. It is one of the world's leading pharmaceutical companies with healthcare sales of over $21.4 billion and leading positions in sales of gastrointestinal, cardiovascular, respiratory, oncology and neuroscience products. In the United States, AstraZeneca is a $9.6 billion healthcare business with more than 12,000 employees. AstraZeneca is listed in the Dow Jones Sustainability Index (Global) as well as the FTSE4Good Index.

For more information about AstraZeneca, please visit: astrazeneca-us
To view the most recent CRESTOR® ad, please visit: crestor/p/patient/awareness.asp