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AstraZeneca history
AstraZeneca company history timeline
In 1999, AstraZeneca identified a new location for the company's US base, the "Fairfax-plus" site in North Wilmington, Delaware.
In 2002, its drug Iressa (gefitinib) was approved in Japan as monotherapy for non-small cell lung cancer.
In 2005, the company acquired KuDOS Pharmaceuticals, a UK biotech company, for £120 million. and entered into an anti-cancer collaboration agreement with Astex It also announced that it had become a Diamond Member of the Pennsylvania Bio commerce organisation.
In February 2007, AstraZeneca agreed to buy Arrow Therapeutics, a company focused on the discovery and development of anti-viral therapies, for US$150 million.
In 2011, AstraZeneca acquired Guangdong BeiKang Pharmaceutical Company, a Chinese generics business.
In October 2013, AstraZeneca announced it would acquire biotech oncology company Spirogen for around US$440 million.
On 19 May 2014 AstraZeneca rejected a "final offer" from Pfizer of £55 per share, which valued the company at £69.4 billion (US$117 billion). The companies had been meeting since January 2014.
In August 2014 the company announced it had entered into a three-year collaboration with Mitsubishi Tanabe Pharma on diabetic nephropathy.
In September 2014 the company would join forces with Eli Lilly in developing and commercialising its candidate BACE inhibitor – AZD3292 – used for the treatment of Alzheimer's disease.
In November 2014 the company's biologics R&D operation, MedImmune, agreed to acquire Definiens for more than US$150 million.
In 2015, it was the eighth-largest drug company in the world based on sales revenue.
AstraZeneca also announced that it would move its corporate headquarters from London to Cambridge in 2016.
In July 2017, the company's CEO Pascal Soriot said that Brexit would not affect its commitment to its current plans in the United Kingdom.
In 2017, it was the eleventh largest drug company in the world based on sales and ranked seventh based on R&D investment.
In February 2018, AstraZeneca announced it was spinning off six early-stage experimental drugs into a new biotechnology company, known as Viela Bio, valued at US$250 million.
In March 2019, AstraZeneca announced it will pay up to US$6.9 billion to work with Daiichi Sankyo Co Ltd on an experimental treatment for breast cancer.
In July 2020, the business entered into its second collaboration with Daiichi Sankyo, centred around the development of DS-1062, an antibody drug conjugate.
On 30 December 2020, the United Kingdom approved the emergency use of the Oxford–AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine.
In July 2021, AstraZeneca acquired Alexion Pharmaceuticals.
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AstraZeneca competitors
| Company name | Founded date | Revenue | Employee size | Job openings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cardiol Therapeutics | - | - | 5 | - |
| Novartis | 1996 | $51.7B | 110,000 | 426 |
| Eli Lilly and Company | 1876 | $45.0B | 33,625 | 828 |
| Merck | 1891 | $64.2B | 74,000 | 1,306 |
| Daiichi Sankyo | 2005 | $9.0B | 15,348 | 79 |
| Med Immune Inc | 1988 | $1.7B | 5,000 | - |
| Boehringer Ingelheim | 1984 | $17.2B | 52,391 | 352 |
| Organon | - | $6.4B | 158 | 105 |
| Sanofi US | 1973 | $980.0M | 110,000 | 783 |
| PDI | 1987 | $22.0M | 350 | 47 |
AstraZeneca history FAQs
Zippia gives an in-depth look into the details of AstraZeneca, including salaries, political affiliations, employee data, and more, in order to inform job seekers about AstraZeneca. The employee data is based on information from people who have self-reported their past or current employments at AstraZeneca. The data on this page is also based on data sources collected from public and open data sources on the Internet and other locations, as well as proprietary data we licensed from other companies. Sources of data may include, but are not limited to, the BLS, company filings, estimates based on those filings, H1B filings, and other public and private datasets. While we have made attempts to ensure that the information displayed are correct, Zippia is not responsible for any errors or omissions or for the results obtained from the use of this information. None of the information on this page has been provided or approved by AstraZeneca. The data presented on this page does not represent the view of AstraZeneca and its employees or that of Zippia.
AstraZeneca may also be known as or be related to AstraZeneca, AstraZeneca LP, AstraZeneca plc, Astrazeneca Biotech AB and Astrazeneca Pharmaceuticals Lp.