AstraZeneca is a global, biopharmaceutical company with research and development at its core.
The healthcare environment is changing at a rapid pace. Healthcare is becoming more personalized, treatments are becoming more targeted and economic pressures mean governments and healthcare systems are demanding increasingly cost-effective solutions to healthcare problems.
Our ultimate mission is to make a difference through our medicines for patients, their families, our stakeholders, and society in general. We believe that scientific research is the key to achieving this, in collaboration with others who share our interest and our passion. Within the overall AstraZeneca strategy, cutting-edge innovation is at the heart of what we do, and our R&D strategy has been carefully constructed to deliver on our promise to our patients, customers, and shareholders.
Clear focus on prescription medicines
We’re dedicated to what we do best: the discovery, development and commercialization of differentiated, value-adding prescription medicines. Instead of diversifying like some of our competitors, we are passionate about pushing the boundaries of science to create medicines for some of the world’s greatest healthcare challenges.
A targeted portfolio
We recognize the industry-wide challenge of increasing R&D costs and declining revenues. We know where our expertise lies and where there are the greatest opportunities. Therefore, we have chosen to focus on six key therapeutic areas: cancer, infection, cardiovascular diseases, gastrointestinal, neuroscience and respiratory.
Integrated small/large molecule approach
Our small molecule and biologics capabilities are not divided; in AstraZeneca and MedImmune, R&D is one truly global team. This allows us to search for solutions to unmet medical needs regardless of therapeutic modality.
End-to-end capabilities
We invest over $4 billion each year in R&D. A significant portion of this investment is in key capabilities to ensure we have the skills, technology and tools to deliver success throughout the medicines life-cycle:
- Predictive Science
- Personalized Healthcare
- Clinical Trial Design & Interpretation
- Payer and RWE (Real World Evidence)
Collaborations that work
We recognize that to deliver true value we need to work with the best that science can offer, and with partners who share our interests and share our passion. Our ‘new opportunities’ iMed group proactively explores opportunities to deliver externally sourced, proof-of-concept therapeutics that may expand the breadth of internal development. We have the capabilities and resources to create strategic partnerships with organizations of all shapes and sizes to complement our own efforts, and to ensure we are continually at the forefront of groundbreaking research into human disease.
Investment in our people
R&D is a people business and our people are our biggest asset. We have more than 15,000 professionals working in R&D across the world, in eight countries, on three continents. We devote a great deal of effort to building the kind of culture that promotes team-driven creativity and informed risk-taking.