AstraZeneca is a global pharmaceutical company formed in 1999 through the merger of Sweden's Astra AB and the UK's Zeneca Group PLC. The company researches and develops medicines across oncology, biopharmaceuticals, respiratory, and rare diseases, with particular focus on precision medicine and next-generation therapeutics including cell therapies.
The company operates six strategic research and development centres located in Cambridge, Gothenburg, Gaithersburg, Boston, Shanghai, and Beijing. AstraZeneca invests billions annually in drug development, currently maintaining 197 projects in its pipeline and marketing 16 blockbuster medicines. The company has set a public target to deliver 20 new medicines by 2030.
AstraZeneca's research capabilities span drug discovery and development, precision medicine, data science, and artificial intelligence applications in therapeutics. The company's geographic footprint and multi-centre R&D model reflect its position as a science-based organisation with operations across Europe, North America, and Asia.