AstraZeneca Strengthens Commitment to Provide Free and Low-Cost Medicines to Patients in Need Through New Industry Initiative WILMINGTON, Del., April 5 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Today AstraZeneca, one of the world's leading pharmaceutical companies, announced its participation in Partnership for Prescription Assistance (PPA), a groundbreaking national initiative that will make it easier for consumers to access patient assistance programs. Qualifying patients who lack prescription coverage now have a single point of contact to access information and apply for medicines they need through the public or private program that is right for them. It is the first time that consumers have been able to access all of these programs through a single free service. "AstraZeneca is proud to be a part of this innovative program. This centralized information and application system makes it easier for patients to access multiple assistance programs, including AstraZeneca's programs, and reinforces our commitment to helping people find significant savings on medicine," said David Brennan, President and CEO, AstraZeneca US. "Today's launch is another step forward for the 45 million people in the United States who require help affording the medicines they need." For more than 25 years, AstraZeneca has offered patient access programs. In 2004, AstraZeneca provided more than $765 million in savings through its assistance programs to 800,000 patients without drug coverage throughout the US and Puerto Rico. AstraZeneca's programs, along with other patient assistance programs, can now be accessed via the PPA toll-free phone number (1-800-4PPA-NOW) or Web site (http://www.pparx.org/). The PPA consists of a coalition of America's pharmaceutical companies, physicians and patient advocates and represents the largest ever private- sector program to bring medicines to Americans who lack prescription drug coverage and are having difficulty affording their prescription medicines. More than 275 public and private patient assistance programs are available through the PPA, including more than 150 programs offered by pharmaceutical companies. In 2004, the pharmaceutical industry helped an estimated 6.6 million patients receive 22,119,664 prescriptions with a wholesale value topping $4.17 billion. 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: http://www.astrazeneca-us.com/ DATASOURCE: AstraZeneca CONTACT: Carla Burigatto, +1-302-886-5953, , or Abby Baron, +1-302-885-3578, , both of AstraZeneca Web site: http://www.astrazeneca-us.com/ http://www.pparx.org/ Company News On-Call: http://www.prnewswire.com/comp/985887.html

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