What Drugs Does AstraZeneca Make?
AstraZeneca is a leading biopharmaceutical company that focuses on developing drugs to treat cancer, heart disease, and COPD. What drugs does the company make?
Dec. 14 2020, Published 11:31 a.m. ET
AstraZeneca is a biopharmaceutical company known for its research and development of drugs to treat cardiovascular disease, cancer, and COPD. AstraZeneca also develops vaccines, including its COVID-19 vaccine candidate.
Recently, AstraZeneca announced its plans to acquire Alexion for $39 billion. The move is intended to improve the company’s standing in the immunology sector.
In cancer research, AstraZeneca focuses on four primary scientific platforms — immuno-oncology, tumor drivers and resistance, DNA damage response, and antibody-drug conjugates. The company makes drugs to treat cardiovascular, renal, and metabolic diseases. Its respiratory drugs work to help prevent asthma and treat COPD.
What drugs does AstraZeneca make?
AstraZeneca focuses most of its research and development on drugs to treat cardiovascular, renal, and metabolic illnesses; cancer; and respiratory diseases. In 2020, AstraZeneca has also devoted significant funding towards the development of a COVID-19 vaccine with Oxford.
Nexium is AstraZeneca’s treatment for GERD (gastroesophageal reflux disease). The treatment launched in Sweden in 2000.
For the treatment of advanced BRCA-mutated ovarian cancer, AstraZeneca partnered with MSD to create Lynparza. Five-year follow-up data showed that the drug significantly reduced the disease’s progression and offered “sustained remission.”
What is AstraZeneca used for?
AstraZeneca has been a biopharmaceutical leader for decades. Astra AB, a Swedish pharmaceutical company founded in 1913, merged with Zeneca Group in 1998. The company doesn't manufacture one specific drug. Instead, it's actively researching and developing multiple therapies for a wide variety of diseases.
AstraZeneca’s lung cancer drugs
Imfinzi is AstraZeneca’s latest lung cancer drug to receive approval from the FDA. It’s for adult patients with extensive-stage small-cell lung cancer (ES-SCLC).
Tagrisso is another one of AstraZeneca's lung cancer drugs. The drug is prescribed to patients with metastatic non-small cell lung cancer, which has spread to other areas of the body.
AstraZeneca’s cardiovascular drugs
Some of the drugs that AstraZeneca has developed to treat cardiovascular disease include Atacand, Crestor, and Lokelma.
Atacand is a prescription medicine that treats heart failure and hypertension. In the fall of 2020, AstraZeneca agreed to sell the commercial rights to Atacand and Atacand Plus to Cheplapharm.
Crestor is AstraZeneca’s statin drug that is used to treat blood lipid disorders and help prevent cardiovascular events like heart attacks and strokes. The company is selling the rights to Crestor in over 30 European countries to Grünenthal.
Lokelma is a treatment for adults with hyperkalemia. Patients with the condition have high blood potassium levels often associated with cardiovascular, renal, and metabolic diseases.
AstraZeneca’s COPD drugs
AstraZeneca is working to develop treatments and breakthroughs in several respiratory illnesses including asthma, COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease), IPF (idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis), and chronic cough.
After Phase III trials, AstraZeneca’s new drug Breztri Aerosphere was FDA-approved in July for maintenance treatment for COPD patients.
Symbicort is a long-term treatment option for patients with asthma and COPD. It isn't intended for sudden emergency symptoms for either condition.
Where is AstraZeneca based?
AstraZeneca's headquarters are in Cambridge, U.K. The company also has research and development locations in Gaithersburg, Md. and Boston in the U.S. Globally, R&D centers are located in Gothenburg, Sweden as well as Warsaw, Poland.