Crestor Data

AstraZeneca PLC
2 September 2002



                  NEW DATA SHOW CRESTOR(R) MORE EFFECTIVE THAN
                   ATORVASTATIN ACROSS A WIDE RANGE OF DOSES


AstraZeneca announced today that data presented at the European Society of
Cardiology Meeting in Berlin, show that Crestor(R) (rosuvastatin) consistently
achieved a significantly greater reduction in LDL-Cholesterol (LDL-C) levels
when compared to atorvastatin across the dose range tested.  This marks the
first presentation of data demonstrating the superior LDL-C lowering capability
of 'Crestor' when compared with atorvastatin across a range of doses.
Previously presented data have been individual dose comparisons or titration
studies.  AstraZeneca also announced the implementation of the GALAXY programme,
which is a long-term comprehensive global research initiative to investigate
cardiovascular risk reduction with 'Crestor'.


Previous studies have shown that broadly speaking each doubling of the dose of a
statin provides an extra 6 per cent reduction in LDL-C.  Results from this study
showed that on average 'Crestor' provided an 8.4 percent greater reduction in
LDL-C than atorvastatin across the dose ranges compared (p< 0.001).  This
provides further evidence that 'Crestor' should enable more patients to achieve
their guideline LDL-C goal at a lower dose, avoiding the need to double the
dose.  These positive results further support data from other studies, which
clearly showed that at a given dose more patients achieved guideline LDL-C goals
with CRESTOR than with atorvastatin.


The data also showed that 'Crestor' had beneficial effects on HDL-Cholesterol
(HDL-C) levels.  This result, combined with the drug's LDL-C lowering effect,
demonstrated that 'Crestor' was consistently more effective than atorvastatin in
improving lipid ratios across the dose ranges tested.  Improvements in these
ratios may offer enhanced potential for cardiovascular risk reduction.  Both
therapies were well tolerated across all doses, with similar types and
incidences of treatment-emergent adverse events.


The global statin market is estimated to be worth more than $14 billion and is
growing at a rate of more than 20 per cent.  'Crestor' is the latest of the
statin (HMG-CoA reductase inhibitors) class of lipid-lowering drugs, which are
used in the treatment of dyslipidaemia.  'Crestor' was submitted simultaneously
for regulatory approval in the US and Europe in June 2001, in Japan earlier this
year, and in a number of other markets worldwide.


                                                                         Cont...

                                     - 2 -


Successfully achieving LDL-cholesterol guideline goals reduces cardiovascular
disease (CVD) risk.  Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of mortality
worldwide.  Over 16.7 million deaths each year are due to CVD, which represents
approximately one death every two seconds.  In Europe CVD accounts for over 50
per cent of deaths in those aged over 65 years.  Superior LDL-C lowering
efficacy is important because it could imply greater potential to prevent more
cardiovascular events.


The GALAXY research programme is a series of co-ordinated 'Crestor' studies from
more than 30 countries around the world. Independent researchers will implement
the GALAXY programme, which aims to further address a number of questions
including how to slow the progression of 'blocked arteries' or atherosclerosis
in patients with diseased arteries; evaluation of optimal treatments; helping
more patients reach recommended guideline treatment goals; evaluation of
initiatives designed to help patients take their medication more appropriately;
to determining how the lives of patients can be improved and prolonged.
Currently, 10 studies are ongoing, involving over 9,000 subjects from 20
countries around the world.


'Crestor' is a trademark of the AstraZeneca group of companies.


                                    - Ends -


September 1, 2002


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