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Company launches relief efforts in partnership with Rotary Club of Houston to pledge additional support at AHA annual meeting

WILMINGTON, Del., Nov. 17 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- AstraZeneca , one of the world's leading pharmaceutical companies, announced today that it will provide an additional $125,000 worth of critical supplies to hurricane victims. In partnership with the Rotary Club of Houston, AstraZeneca delivered two truckloads of critical supplies to El Centro de Corazon Health Clinic and El Spiritu de Salud Mobile Unit, which serve at-risk and underserved communities in the Houston area, including many families evacuated during Hurricanes Katrina and Rita. Through a "relief center" set up at the American Heart Association Scientific Sessions held in Dallas from November 13 - 16, 2005, attendees also pledged continued aid to hurricane- affected areas through monetary donations, totaling $3,000, following matching contributions from the Company.

(Photo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20051117/PHTH044)

"With this year's American Heart Association meeting taking place in Texas, we thought the relief center would be an important way to take heart and support the many victims displaced to this area as they struggle to put their lives back together," said Adele Gulfo, Vice President, Primary Care Cardiovascular, AstraZeneca Pharmaceuticals LP. "AstraZeneca remains committed to helping those affected by the disasters through providing them with additional funds and medicines."

Prior to the relief efforts announced at this year's AHA meeting in Dallas, AstraZeneca contributed one million dollars to the American Red Cross and free medicine to the victims of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita. The Company also matched all contributions made by its U.S. employees to the American Red Cross. Most recently, the Company donated $250,000 to the Association of Black Cardiologists, Inc. to support the rebuilding process of its member patient health centers that suffered damage in the Gulf States.

Rotary Club of Houston's mission is to improve the quality of human life through volunteer community service. Members contributed more than $2,000 in hurricane relief funds following Hurricanes Katrina and Rita. In addition, the Rotary Club of Houston Foundation contributed $10,000 each to the Salvation Army and the American Red Cross. Rotary Club of Houston collaborated with Canadian Rotarians to deliver more than 350 stuffed animals to young evacuees from New Orleans. Immediately after the first disaster struck, hundreds of Rotarians volunteered in community and faith-based relief efforts, including the Reliant Center, which housed evacuees from the Superdome.

"The devastating effects of the hurricanes have left significant numbers of families in Houston and surrounding areas without many critical resources, including medicine," said Vicki Brentin, President-elect, Rotary Club of Houston. "We are grateful for the opportunity to collaborate with AstraZeneca on this initiative and help Houston's newest citizens gain access to the supplies and resources they need to stay healthy."

AstraZeneca also provides ongoing support for the National Council for Community Behavioral Healthcare (NCCBH) Project Helping Hands, an emergency psychiatric assistance program to aid community mental health centers in states across the country who are reaching out to hurricane evacuees with serious mental illnesses.

As part of its efforts to ensure affected patients are receiving medications, AstraZeneca continues to provide free medicine to patients and clinics through the AstraZeneca Patient Assistance and Caring Partners Programs, and to national and local disaster relief organizations providing aid to the hurricane-affected areas.

In addition to supporting requests from government agencies, such as State Departments of Health and Human Services, AstraZeneca is working with two major relief organizations, Americares and Project Hope, to support ongoing needs for product donations. The Company will also work closely with government and relief agencies to assess the evolving needs of organizations, hospitals, and individuals.

People currently taking AstraZeneca medications who are affected by the hurricane and currently enrolled in the AstraZeneca Foundation Patient Assistance Program (PAP) can call 1-800-424-3727 to request a product refill or replacement, and indicate where they would like it to be shipped in the event of relocation. These medicines include: ACCOLATE(R) (zafirlukast), ARIMIDEX(R) (anastrozole), ATACAND(R) (candesartan cilexetil), ATACAND HCT(R) (candesartan cilexetil-hydrochlorothiazide), CASODEX(R) (bicalutamide), CRESTOR(R) (rosuvastatin calcium), EMLA Cream (lidocaine 2.5% and prilocaine 2.5%), FASLODEX(R) (fulvestrant), NEXIUM(R) (esomeprazole magnesium), NOLVADEX(R) (tamoxifen citrate), PLENDIL(R) (felodipine ER), PULMICORT RESPULES(R) (budesonide inhalation suspension), PULMICORT TURBUHALER(R) (budesonide inhalation powder), RHINOCORT AQUA(R) (budesonide), SEROQUEL(R) (quetiapine fumarate), TOPROL-XL(R) (metoprolol succinate), ZOLADEX(R) (goserelin acetate implant), ZOMIG(R) (zolmitriptan) and ZOMIG ZMT(R) (zolmitriptan).

Key contact information to request AstraZeneca medicines:

Individuals affected by the hurricane and enrolled in the AstraZeneca Foundation Patient Assistance Program (PAP) can call 800-424-3727 to request a product refill or replacement.

Existing facilities enrolled in the AstraZeneca Caring Partners Program should call 866-325-8198 to request product refills.

Organizations outside the AstraZeneca Caring Partners Program can request AstraZeneca products by calling Americares at 800-486-HELP (4357) or Project Hope at 800-544-HOPE (4673).

Individuals who previously have been prescribed an AstraZeneca medication but who are not enrolled in an AstraZeneca Foundation Patient Assistance Program are urged to visit a physician, pharmacist, local clinic/hospital or disaster relief agency to receive the AstraZeneca product that they have been prescribed. For further information about clinic locations call the American Red Cross at 1-800-HELP-NOW.

About AstraZeneca

AstraZeneca is a major international healthcare business engaged in the research, development, manufacture and marketing of prescription pharmaceuticals and the supply of healthcare services. It is one of the world's leading pharmaceutical companies with healthcare sales of over $21.4 billion and leading positions in sales of gastrointestinal, cardiovascular, respiratory, oncology and neuroscience products. AstraZeneca is listed in the Dow Jones Sustainability Index (Global) as well as the FTSE4Good Index. Worldwide, AstraZeneca has six major research and development sites, four discovery facilities and a clinical research site. In total, AstraZeneca's R&D organization is comprised of more 11,500 people located in seven countries including Canada, France, India, Japan, Sweden, United Kingdom and the United States.

About Rotary Club of Houston

Rotary Club of Houston, in operation since 1912, is an association of more than 350 successful business professionals, all prominent in their individual fields of endeavor, who volunteer their efforts through the work of some two dozen club committees. Assistance is provided to such diverse groups as troubled youngsters, former prison inmates, business-oriented high school students, families of cancer patients, deserving college scholarship candidates and, through its nationwide college athletic award, the nation's cancer research efforts. The club's most recent community project is the East End Healthy Children's Collaborative which provides much needed access to primary health care for residents on Houston's East side.

CONTACT: Adrienne Maxwell of AstraZeneca LP, +1-302-885-1872, or adrienne.maxwell@astrazeneca.com; or Ken Scott of Rotary Club of Houston, +1-713-682-1382, or cell, +1-713-397-9091, or kscottcomm@aol.com

Web site: http://www.astrazeneca-us.com/

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