AstraZeneca Plc

Founded in 1999, AstraZeneca PLC is a UK-based leading multinational biopharmaceutical company. It is involved in the discovery, development, manufacturing and selling of biotechnology and pharma products. Headquartered in Cambridge, England, is listed on the London Stock Exchange and is one of the top 10 stocks under the FTSE 100 index. Besides, the company is also listed on the Nasdaq OMX Stockholm, Nasdaq New York, and Bombay Stock Exchange and National Stock Exchange of India. It has acquired many companies like Spirogen, Cambridge Antibody Technology, Definiens etc., and has become one of the largest pharmaceutical companies in the world.

The focus of the company is mainly on areas like cardiovascular, oncology, and respiratory, renal, and metabolic therapy. It also focuses on areas like neuroscience and infection. It is now exploring areas like heart failure and chronic kidney diseases.

The strategy of the company is to focus on innovation and create and deliver life changing medicines to millions of patients around the globe. The goal is to generate maximum risk-adjusted returns for the business while creating value for the society. The company aims to reduce the growing burden of diseases in the world through innovation and optimal use of data and technology.

It has a patient-centric business model and promotes a culture of transparency and accountability because of high stakes and responsibility for the lives of the patients. It is heavily investing in research and development and trying to build a model of personalised medicines to provide the best possible treatment to all patients. The company also invests in finding scientific cures to some of the world’s most complex diseases, using state-of-the-art technologies like Acoustic Tube Sample Management, Advanced Molecular Imaging, Functional Genomics, Cryo-EM etc.

The company follows a well-defined framework of corporate governance and aligns itself with the UK Corporate Governance Code 2018. It follows strict policies related to board diversity, remuneration, audit etc. Apart from fulfilling its corporate responsibilities, the company also fulfils its social as well as environmental responsibilities. It tries to create a positive impact on the society by striving for sustainable business solutions. According to the 2020 data, it has reduced its greenhouse gas emissions by 60% since 2015 and is working towards reducing its environmental footprint by following international best practices. It has also achieved 20% reduction in water usage since 2015 and has been recognised by CDP for its efforts to tackle clime change and water security for the fifth consecutive year.