ASTRAZENECA AND OUR YEAR IN BRIEF
ASTRAZENECA IS ONE OF THE WORLD’S LEADING PHARMACEUTICAL COMPANIES with A BROAD RANGE OF MEDICINES DESIGNED TO FIGHT DISEASE IN IMPORTANT AREAS OF HEALTHCARE. Backed by strong science and wide-ranging commercial skills, we are committed to sustainable development of our business and the delivery of a flow of new medicines that bring benefit for patients and CREATE ENDURING VALUE FOR OUR SHAREHOLDERS AND SOCIETY.
2007 IN BRIEF
- Sales up 7% to $29,559 million.
- Crestor sales up 33% to $2,796 million; Symbicort up 22% to $1,575 million; Seroquel up 15% to $4,027 million; and Arimidex up 10% to $1,730 million. Nexium sales down 2% to $5,216 million.
- Our product portfolio now includes 11 medicines with annual sales of more than $1 billion each.
- Sales up 17% in emerging markets.
- Operating profit (excluding restructuring and synergy costs) up 8% to $9,060 million.
- Cash distributions to shareholders totalled $6,811 million (dividends $2,641 million; share re‑purchases $4,170 million).
- Earnings per share (excluding restructuring and synergy costs) were $4.20, ahead of target.
- Dividend up 9% to $1.87 for the full year.
- Investment in R&D increased to more than $5 billion.
- A record 36 new compounds were selected for development and 24 compounds progressed to first human exposure. Phase III development pipeline doubled from five to 10 projects.
- Over 20 major externalisation deals and two significant acquisitions in the past two years.
- Acquisition of MedImmune in June 2007 established us as a leader in biotechnology amongst our pharmaceutical peers.
- Productivity initiatives, including restructuring programme, progressing to plan.
ASTRAZENECA IN BRIEF
- We discover, develop, manufacture and market prescription pharmaceuticals, biologics and vaccines for important areas of healthcare: Cardiovascular, Gastrointestinal, Neuroscience, Oncology, Respiratory and Inflammation, and Infection.
- Broad product range, including many world leaders and a number of key products: Arimidex, Crestor, Nexium, Seroquel and Symbicort.
- Active in over 100 countries with growing presence in important emerging markets; corporate office in London, UK; major R&D sites in Sweden, the UK and the US.
- With the acquisition of MedImmune, we have a world‑class biologics and vaccines capability.
- Over 67,000 employees (55% in Europe, 30% in the Americas and 15% in Asia, Africa and Australasia).
- Around 13,000 people in our R&D organisation and 17 principal R&D centres in eight countries.
- 29 manufacturing sites in 20 countries.
- Alongside our commitment to high performance and competitiveness, we continue to be led by our core values to deliver sustainable success.
