ARISE Study

AstraZeneca PLC
19 March 2007

Coronary Artery Disease ARISE Trial Showed AGI-1067
Did Not Meet Primary Endpoint



AstraZeneca today announced that its collaboration partner AtheroGenics, Inc.
(Nasdaq: AGIX) revealed first results from the ARISE (Aggressive Reduction of
Inflammation Stops Events) phase III clinical outcomes trial which studied
AGI-1067, an investigational anti-atherosclerotic agent with antioxidant and
anti-inflammatory effects, in patients with coronary artery disease (CAD).



The ARISE trial did not meet its primary endpoint of a statistically significant
relative risk reduction in a composite cardiovascular endpoint of CV death,
resuscitated cardiac arrest, non-fatal myocardial infarction, non-fatal stroke,
use of coronary revascularisation and for angina pectoris with objective
evidence of ischemia.



 AstraZeneca and AtheroGenics will now work together to fully analyse the full
data set for AGI-1067, including these first results.  After completion of the
final analysis, under the terms of the licence and collaboration agreement
AstraZeneca has a 45-day period in which to decide whether or not to continue
with the collaboration.



The ARISE study

ARISE was a double-blind, randomised, placebo controlled study which involved
more than 6,000 patients with coronary artery disease from over 250 centres in
Canada, South Africa, the UK and the US.  The study was designed to evaluate the
additional benefits of adding AGI-1067 to current standard of care therapies, on
several outcomes due to coronary vascular events such as death, heart attack,
stroke, revascularisation and hospital admission for unstable angina.



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 $26.47 billion and leading
positions in sales of gastrointestinal, cardiovascular, neuroscience,
respiratory, oncology and infection products. AstraZeneca is listed in the Dow
Jones Sustainability Index (Global) as well as the FTSE4 Good Index.



AtheroGenics

AtheroGenics is focused on the discovery, development and commercialization of
novel drugs for the treatment of chronic inflammatory diseases, including heart
disease (atherosclerosis), rheumatoid arthritis and asthma. In addition to
AGI-1067, the Company has another clinical-stage development programme studying
AGI-1096, a novel, oral agent in Phase I that is being developed for the
prevention of organ transplant rejection in collaboration with Astellas.
AtheroGenics also has preclinical programmes in rheumatoid arthritis and asthma
utilizing its proprietary vascular protectant(R) technology. For more
information about AtheroGenics, please visit http://www.atherogenics.com.



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19 March 2007



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