AstraZeneca Plc (LON:AZN) is a British-Swedish multinational biopharmaceutical company, headquartered in London, which develops, manufactures and sells prescription drugs. It is one of the biggest pharmaceutical companies in the world, with operations in more than 100 countries including China, Mexico, Brazil and Russia.
The company has a large portfolio of products for six areas of healthcare: Cardiovascular, Gastrointestinal, Infection, Neuroscience, Oncology, and Respiratory and Inflammation. Its range of products include the antibiotic Merrem/Meronem, proton pump inhibitor Losec/Prilosec for treatment of acid related illnesses and other medicines such as Plendil, Onglyza, Symbicort, Zoladex and Onglyza.
AstraZeneca was formed in 1999 through the merger of the Sweden's Astra AB and Zeneca Group of the UK.
The company has a primary listing on the London Stock Exchange where it is a constituent of the FTSE 100 Index. With a market capitalisation of over £40 billion it is one of the biggest companies on the LSE. AstraZeneca has a secondary listing on the New York Stock Exchange, trading under the symbol AZN.
On July 18, 2013 AstraZeneca bought Omthera Pharmaceuticals, a US-based pharmaceutical company. Also in July of the same year it sold its toxicological laboratory in Gartuna to Acturum.