AstraZeneca

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A global biopharmaceutical company developing and commercialising prescription medicines and biologics.

Last updated November 2, 2026

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Overview

AstraZeneca is a Swedish–British multinational biopharmaceutical company headquartered at the Cambridge Biomedical Campus in Cambridge, England. It researches, develops, manufactures and commercialises prescription medicines and biologic therapies across oncology, cardiovascular, renal and metabolic disease, respiratory and immunology, rare diseases, infection, neuroscience and gastrointestinal medicine. The company is primarily a research-driven pharmaceutical business rather than a consumer-staples company, and its products are generally distributed through healthcare systems, hospitals, specialist providers and pharmacies. The modern company was created in 1999 through the merger of Sweden’s Astra AB and the United Kingdom’s Zeneca Group. Astra’s corporate history began in 1913, when it was established in Södertälje by Swedish doctors and apothecaries. Zeneca was formed in 1993 when Imperial Chemical Industries separated its pharmaceutical, agrochemical and specialty-products operations. The merger combined Astra’s Scandinavian pharmaceutical heritage with Zeneca’s British research and commercial operations, and established a multinational company with a broad international footprint. AstraZeneca’s portfolio contains both primary-care and specialist medicines, including targeted cancer therapies, immunotherapies, inhaled respiratory medicines, diabetes and kidney-disease treatments, cardiovascular medicines, vaccines and rare-disease therapies. Important brands and platforms have included Tagrisso, Imfinzi, Farxiga, Symbicort, Fasenra, Lynparza, Calquence and Soliris. Product availability and regulatory status vary by market, and some medicines have been developed or commercialised with external partners. A significant part of AstraZeneca’s growth has come from acquisitions, licensing arrangements and research collaborations. Major transactions have included Cambridge Antibody Technology in 2006, MedImmune in 2007, Ardea Biosciences in 2012, ZS Pharma and a controlling stake in Acerta Pharma in 2015, and Alexion Pharmaceuticals in 2021. These transactions strengthened the company’s biologics, oncology, rare-disease and specialty-medicine capabilities. AstraZeneca has also entered major collaborations with companies including Daiichi Sankyo, Merck & Co., Bristol Myers Squibb, Celgene, Amgen and others. The company reorganised its research operations during the 2010s in response to patent expiries, pipeline pressure and changing pharmaceutical economics. It concentrated major research activity in Cambridge in England, Gothenburg in Sweden and Gaithersburg in Maryland in the United States, while expanding biologics and translational research. In 2014 it rejected an approach from Pfizer, preserving its independent corporate identity. During the COVID-19 pandemic, AstraZeneca partnered with the University of Oxford to develop and distribute a viral-vector vaccine, which became one of the earliest widely authorised COVID-19 vaccines. AstraZeneca’s primary share listing is on the London Stock Exchange, where it is a constituent of the FTSE 100 Index. It also has listings or trading arrangements connected with Nasdaq Stockholm and the New York Stock Exchange. The company operates research, manufacturing and commercial sites in numerous countries and presents itself as a science-led biopharmaceutical organisation focused on innovation in areas of substantial unmet medical need.

History

AstraZeneca’s roots extend to Astra AB, founded in 1913 in Södertälje, Sweden, by a group of doctors and apothecaries. Astra developed into Sweden’s largest pharmaceutical company during the twentieth century. Its British counterpart originated in Imperial Chemical Industries, which separated its pharmaceutical, agrochemical and specialty businesses in 1993 into a new company named Zeneca Group. Astra and Zeneca merged in 1999. The transaction created a Swedish–British pharmaceutical group with its corporate headquarters in the United Kingdom. Zeneca shareholders received the majority of the shares, while Astra shareholders received the remainder. The new company initially combined established prescription-drug franchises with research operations in Europe and North America. During the 2000s, AstraZeneca expanded through targeted acquisitions and licensing. The company acquired KuDOS Pharmaceuticals in 2005 and Cambridge Antibody Technology in 2006, strengthening its oncology and biotechnology capabilities. In 2007 it acquired MedImmune, a US biologics company known for vaccines and specialty therapies. MedImmune became a central part of AstraZeneca’s biologics research organisation. The company faced substantial patent expiries and pipeline pressure during the late 2000s and early 2010s. It responded through collaborations, restructuring and acquisitions, including Arrow Therapeutics, Novexel, Ardea Biosciences and the diabetes-related Amylin transaction with Bristol Myers Squibb. In 2013 AstraZeneca announced a major reorganisation of research and development, including the concentration of important research activities in Cambridge, Gothenburg and Gaithersburg. It also announced plans to move its corporate headquarters from London to Cambridge and to focus on respiratory inflammation and autoimmunity, cardiovascular and metabolic disease, and oncology. In 2014 Pfizer pursued AstraZeneca in a proposed takeover that would have created one of the world’s largest pharmaceutical companies. AstraZeneca rejected Pfizer’s final proposal. The company subsequently continued its independent strategy, acquiring respiratory assets from Almirall, buying biotechnology companies and entering collaborations in oncology, immunology and neuroscience. Further expansion followed in the second half of the 2010s. AstraZeneca acquired ZS Pharma and obtained control of Acerta Pharma in 2015, adding medicines and development programmes in specialty care and haematology. It also entered major partnerships with Daiichi Sankyo and other pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies. In 2018 it created Viela Bio from a group of early-stage programmes, and in 2019 it agreed to collaborate with Daiichi Sankyo on trastuzumab deruxtecan, an antibody-drug conjugate for cancer treatment. In 2020 AstraZeneca became internationally prominent through its partnership with the University of Oxford to develop a COVID-19 vaccine. The Oxford–AstraZeneca vaccine was authorised in the United Kingdom at the end of 2020 and subsequently used in many countries. AstraZeneca also explored broader strategic options during the pandemic, including discussions with Gilead Sciences, but those discussions did not result in a merger. AstraZeneca acquired Alexion Pharmaceuticals in 2021. The transaction materially strengthened its rare-disease business and added Alexion’s complement-biology expertise and products. AstraZeneca remains an active global biopharmaceutical company with a portfolio spanning oncology, rare disease, respiratory, cardiovascular, renal and metabolic disease, immunology and infection. Its Cambridge headquarters and research network form part of a broader international operating structure encompassing discovery, clinical development, manufacturing and commercial activities.

2021
Alexion acquisition completed
[3]AstraZeneca completes acquisition of Alexionastrazeneca.com
AstraZeneca completed its acquisition of Alexion Pharmaceuticals, expanding its rare-disease business.
2020
Oxford–AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine authorised
[4]Oxford–AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccineen.wikipedia.org
The United Kingdom granted emergency authorisation to the vaccine developed with Oxford University.
2015
Acerta Pharma investment and ZS Pharma acquisition
[1]AstraZenecaen.wikipedia.org
AstraZeneca acquired ZS Pharma and took a majority stake in Acerta Pharma.
2014
Pfizer approach rejected
[1]AstraZenecaen.wikipedia.org
AstraZeneca rejected Pfizer’s proposed takeover and continued as an independent company.
2013
Research and development restructuring announced
[1]AstraZenecaen.wikipedia.org
The company announced concentration of major R&D activity in Cambridge, Gothenburg and Gaithersburg.
2007
MedImmune acquired
[1]AstraZenecaen.wikipedia.org
AstraZeneca acquired MedImmune and consolidated its biologics operations under the MedImmune organisation.
2006
Cambridge Antibody Technology acquired
[1]AstraZenecaen.wikipedia.org
The acquisition expanded AstraZeneca’s antibody-discovery and biotechnology capabilities.
1999
AstraZeneca established
[1]AstraZenecaen.wikipedia.org
Astra AB and Zeneca Group merged to form AstraZeneca.
1993
Zeneca Group created
[1]AstraZenecaen.wikipedia.org
Imperial Chemical Industries separated its pharmaceutical and related businesses to form Zeneca Group.
1913
Astra AB founded in Sweden
[1]AstraZenecaen.wikipedia.org
Astra AB was established in Södertälje by Swedish doctors and apothecaries.

Products and positioning

Science-led global biopharmaceutical company focused on innovative medicines, biologics and therapies for serious and chronic diseases.

Oncology · 2015
Tagrisso
A targeted oncology medicine based on osimertinib, used in specified settings for non-small-cell lung cancer involving epidermal growth factor receptor mutations.
Oncology and immunotherapy · 2017
Imfinzi
A durvalumab-based immunotherapy that blocks the PD-L1 pathway and is used in approved indications across several cancer types.
Cardiovascular, renal and metabolic disease · 2012
Farxiga
Dapagliflozin, an SGLT2 inhibitor, originally developed for diabetes and subsequently used in approved indications involving heart failure and chronic kidney disease.
Oncology · 2014
Lynparza
Olaparib, a PARP inhibitor used in approved settings for cancers associated with particular genetic or molecular characteristics.
Respiratory medicine · 2017
Fasenra
Benralizumab, a biologic therapy targeting the interleukin-5 receptor and used in approved markets for severe eosinophilic asthma.
Rare diseases
Soliris
Eculizumab, a complement-inhibiting biologic acquired through Alexion and used for specified rare complement-mediated disorders.
Vaccine · 2020
Oxford–AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine
A viral-vector COVID-19 vaccine developed with the University of Oxford and supplied internationally after emergency and other regulatory authorisations.

Controversies

2026
AstraZeneca sues International Fire Consultants for £32 million over Discovery Centre defects
AstraZeneca has launched a £32 million High Court claim against fire consultancy International Fire Consultants (IFC), alleging that IFC failed to comply with its duties and caused widespread defects in the construction of AstraZeneca's Discovery Centre in Cambridge. AstraZeneca says remediation work between 2021 and 2023 cost over £31.7 million. IFC has filed a defence calling the claim misconceived and incorrect, and AstraZeneca has issued a court reply rejecting that defence.
Source
2021
AstraZeneca responds to EU legal action
In April 2021, AstraZeneca responded to legal action taken by the European Union. The company said it regretted the EU's legal action, stated that it believed the proceedings had no legal basis, and said it would defend itself in court. The response was reported by Sina Finance on April 27, 2021.
Source
2021
EU initiates legal proceedings against AstraZeneca over vaccine deliveries
The European Union initiated legal proceedings against AstraZeneca, alleging that the company had not respected terms of its vaccine supply contract and lacked a reliable strategy to ensure timely deliveries. AstraZeneca said it had fully complied with the deal and would defend itself in court.
Source 1 Source 2 Source 3
2021
AstraZeneca sues Alembic over ticagrelor patent
AstraZeneca filed a lawsuit against Alembic Pharmaceuticals alleging that Alembic's generic ticagrelor product would infringe AstraZeneca's patent. The report describes AstraZeneca's allegation regarding the proposed generic product and does not establish a court determination on the claim. No further details on the parties, the patent, or the litigation outcome are provided in the source.
Source
2021
PUMA Biotechnology and Wyeth sue AstraZeneca over Tagrisso patent
PUMA Biotechnology Inc. and Wyeth LLC filed a lawsuit against AstraZeneca Pharmaceuticals in Delaware, alleging that AstraZeneca's Tagrisso infringes their patent. The allegations are claims in the lawsuit, not a court determination.
Source
2021
Daily Express corrects false claim about AstraZeneca vaccine formula
The Daily Express corrected an article that falsely claimed Russia copied the AstraZeneca vaccine formula to make its own vaccine. The outlet apologized and published the Russian Direct Investment Fund’s response. The claim concerned AstraZeneca, but the source does not establish that the formula was stolen.
Source
2021
AstraZeneca sues Glaxo over Zejula licensing agreement
AstraZeneca filed a lawsuit in the U.K. against GlaxoSmithKline, alleging that a 2012 licensing agreement over the Zejula cancer drug was breached and seeking a greater share of sales.
Source
2021
UK regulator reports blood-clot cases after AstraZeneca vaccine use
The UK regulator said it had identified 30 cases of rare blood-clot events following use of the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine.
Source
2021
EMA investigates blood clot reports involving AstraZeneca’s COVID-19 vaccine
The European Medicines Agency’s Pharmacovigilance Risk Assessment Committee was investigating thromboembolic events reported in people who received AstraZeneca’s COVID-19 vaccine. The agency said its review was ongoing and that the vaccine’s benefits currently outweighed the risks.
Source
2020
AstraZeneca releases vaccine trial protocols amid safety concerns
AstraZeneca released details of its coronavirus vaccine trials amid pressure for greater transparency. The article reports that serious neurological illnesses in two trial participants had prompted pauses in the trials; the company said the illnesses were unlikely to be associated with the vaccine or that evidence was insufficient to determine whether they were related.
Source

Brand decisions

2020
Develop and distribute the Oxford–AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccineProduct launch
Background
The COVID-19 pandemic created an urgent need for vaccines that could be produced and distributed internationally.
Action taken
AstraZeneca partnered with the University of Oxford on development, manufacturing and global distribution of a viral-vector vaccine.
Aftermath
The vaccine received emergency authorisation in the United Kingdom in December 2020 and was used in multiple countries, although its regulatory and market status later varied by jurisdiction.
Source
2014
Reject Pfizer’s takeover proposalM&A
Background
Pfizer made a final proposal to acquire AstraZeneca in a transaction that would have created one of the world’s largest pharmaceutical companies.
Action taken
AstraZeneca rejected the proposal and retained its independent corporate strategy.
Aftermath
The company continued to pursue acquisitions, partnerships and internal research investment rather than joining Pfizer.
- Pfizer — Pfizer pursued the proposed acquisition but did not complete the transaction.
Source
2013
Concentrate research around three strategic centresStrategy
Background
AstraZeneca was responding to pipeline pressure, patent expiries and the need to improve research productivity.
Action taken
The company announced major restructuring, investment in Cambridge and concentration of important R&D activities in Cambridge, Gothenburg and Gaithersburg.
Aftermath
The plan involved site closures and substantial job reductions while giving Cambridge a larger role in the company’s research network.
Source

Recent events

2021
AstraZeneca completed acquisition of Alexion Pharmaceuticals[3]AstraZeneca completes acquisition of Alexionastrazeneca.com
M&A
The acquisition expanded AstraZeneca’s presence in rare diseases and complement-mediated disorders.
2020
Oxford–AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine received United Kingdom emergency authorisation[4]Oxford–AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccineen.wikipedia.org
Product launch · Regulation
The United Kingdom authorised emergency use of the COVID-19 vaccine developed by the University of Oxford and AstraZeneca.
2014
AstraZeneca rejected Pfizer takeover proposal[1]AstraZenecaen.wikipedia.org
M&A
AstraZeneca rejected Pfizer’s final approach, choosing to remain an independent company.
2007
AstraZeneca acquired MedImmune[1]AstraZenecaen.wikipedia.org
M&A
The company acquired MedImmune, expanding its biologics, vaccines and specialty-medicine capabilities.
1999
AstraZeneca formed through merger of Astra AB and Zeneca Group[1]AstraZenecaen.wikipedia.org
M&A
The Swedish pharmaceutical company Astra AB merged with the British Zeneca Group to create AstraZeneca.

Sources112 sources

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