Seroquel

AstraZeneca PLC
13 October 2003



ASTRAZENECA RECEIVES EUROPEAN APPROVAL FOR SEROQUEL(TM) IN BIPOLAR MANIA


AstraZeneca announced today that it has successfully completed the Mutual
Recognition Procedure (MRP) involving 14 European countries to extend the use of
SEROQUEL (quetiapine) to the treatment of mania associated with bipolar disorder
(manic-depressive illness).  SEROQUEL is also under review for bipolar mania in
the United States with the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and in the UK with
the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA).


In 2002, worldwide sales of SEROQUEL grew 67 per cent to $1.14 billion.


Bipolar disorder is a serious mental illness that affects approximately 3-4 per
cent of the adult population and is the sixth leading cause of disability in the
world. More than half of those with bipolar disorder stop taking their
medication at some point during their illness, subjecting themselves to a high
risk of relapse and an increased risk of suicide. This lack of compliance is
strongly associated with the occurrence of side effects, therefore, a well
tolerated and effective treatment is pivotal to the successful treatment of this
condition.


Health authorities involved in the MRP reviewed data from a comprehensive
clinical trial programme in bipolar disorder undertaken by AstraZeneca,
involving almost 1000 patients in 28 countries.  The trials have delivered
compelling results, which confirm SEROQUEL to be an excellent first line therapy
for the treatment of manic episodes associated with bipolar disorder.


Individual licenses in the 14 European countries involved in the MRP will follow
from the completion of this procedure.  Health Authority approvals also have
been received in Mexico and New Zealand.


Data from two trials from the clinical trial programme, which examined the
efficacy of SEROQUEL as a monotherapy for the treatment of bipolar mania, were
presented in May this year at the International Conference on Bipolar Disorder
(ICBD), Pittsburgh, USA.  The results confirmed that SEROQUEL monotherapy is as
effective as current treatments for bipolar disorder and offers improved
tolerability benefits.  Data from another trial examining SEROQUEL as an
adjunctive therapy to mood stabilisers in the treatment of bipolar mania were
presented at the 3rd European Stanley Foundation Conference on Bipolar Disorder
in Freiburg, Germany, in September 2002.  The results found that SEROQUEL is
significantly more effective than mood stabilizers alone in the treatment of
bipolar mania.


The MRP involves Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, Germany, Greece, Iceland,
Ireland, Luxembourg, The Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Spain, and Sweden.



13 October 2003


Media Enquiries:


Steve Brown, [phone]
Chris Major, [phone]


Investor Enquiries:


Mina Blair-Robinson, [phone]
Jonathan Hunt, [phone]



-Ends-


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