AstraZeneca PLC

A. Company Profile

AstraZeneca (NYSE:AZN) is one of the world's leading pharmaceutical companies. The company's product portfolio includes innovative treatments across a wide range of therapeutic areas. There are extensive discovery and development programs in the field of oncology.

B. Products

1. Arimidex

Arimidex (Anastrozole) was first launched in 1995 and is now the world's leading oral aromatase inhibitor. Aromatase converts androgens to estrone, a less potent and principal estrogen after menopause. The drug is used for the treatment of advanced breast cancer in postmenopausal women. Arimidex has been approved for the broader indication of first-line advanced breast cancer in post menopausal women.

2. AZD2281

AZD2281 is a PARP inhibitor.

3. AZD1152

AZD1152 is an aurora kinase inhibitor.

4. AZD4769

AZD4769 is a EGFR tyrosine kinase inhibitor.

5. AZD4877

AZD4877 is cell cycle agent.

6. AZD8931

AZD8931 is an erbB kinase inhibitor.

7. AZD7762

AZD7762 is a CHK1 kinase inhibior.

8. AZD0530

AZD0350 is a SRC kinase inhibitor. The drug is an anti-invasive and is designed to prevent tumours from spreading.

9. AZD6244

AZD6244, ARRY-142886, is a MEK inhibitor.

10. Casodex

Casodex (bicalutamide) is an oral non-steroidal anti-androgen for prostate cancer. It is the world's leading anti-androgen and is available in all major European markets, the USA and Japan.

Casodex was first launched in 1995 as a combination treatment (with surgical or medical castration) for advanced prostate cancer and subsequently launched as monotherapy for the treatment of earlier stages of the disease. Casodex has received approval as a monotherapy treatment in over 60 markets to date.

11. CAT-8015

CAT-8015 is a recombinant immunotoxin.

12. Faslodex

Faslodex is a new type of targeted treatment for breast cancer. It is an Estrogen Receptor Antagonist without known agonist effects, and has recently been approved in the USA and Brazil for the treatment of hormone receptor positive metastatic breast cancer in post-menopausal women with disease progression following antiestrogen therapy. It is administered as a once monthly injection.

13. Iressa

Iressa is a small molecule inhibitor of the intracellular phosphorylation of numerous tyrosine kinases associated with transmembrane cell surface receptors. Iressa blocks epidermal growth factor receptor.

14. MEDI-538

MEDI-538 is CD19 B cells.

15. MEDI-561

MEDI-561 is a HSP-90 inhibitor

16. Nolvadex

Nolvadex (Tamoxifen citrate) is an oral anti-oestrogen for breast cancer, and the world's largest selling breast cancer treatment. Nolvadex has more than 10 million patient years of use in the treatment of early and advanced breast cancer in pre- and post-menopausal women. Additionally, in 1998, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved Nolvadex for the reduction of the incidence of breast cancer in women at high risk of developing the disease.

Nolvadex is the first drug to be approved in the USA in this indication. The FDA also approved a further new indication for Nolvadex for the reduction of contralateral (in the opposite breast) breast cancer.

17. Recentin

Recentin, AZD2171, is a selective vascular endothelial growth factor receptor inhibitor. It has effect on all classes of VEGFR (1, 2, and 3), particular on VEGFR-2.

18. Tomudex

Tomudex (raltitrexed) is an injectable cytotoxic agent for advanced colorectal cancer. It is a water-soluble quinazoline specific inhibitor of thymidylate synthase.

19. Zactima (ZD6474)

ZD6474 is an angiogenesis inhibitor (vascular endothelial cell growth receptor tyrosine kinase inhibitor). The drug targets the control of growth of blood vessels of tumors.

20. Zoladex

Zoladex (goserelin acetate) is an injectable luteinising hormone-releasing hormone analogue (LHRHa). It stops the production of sex hormones (testosterone and oestrogen) and is used to treat hormone-sensitive cancers of the prostate and breast (in pre-/perimenopausal women).
Zoladex is available as a 1-month depot and a long-acting 3-month depot. Both depots are used for the treatment of prostate cancer.