AstraZeneca
From SourceWatch
 | This article is part of the Global corporations portal on SourceWatch. |
AstraZeneca is one of the world's largest pharmaceutical companies. The company specialises in drugs for gastrointestinal, cardiovascular, and oncology therapeutic areas.
Contents |
Animal testing
AstraZeneca does animal testing. [1]
Contract testing
AstraZeneca contract tests out to Huntingdon Life Sciences (HLS). [2] Huntingdon Life Sciences is the 3rd largest contract research organization (CRO) in the world and the largest animal testing facility in all of Europe. Firms hire HLS to conduct animal toxicity tests for agrochemicals, petrochemicals, household products, pharmaceutical drugs and toxins. [3] HLS has a long history of gross animal welfare violations. See also Huntingdon Life Sciences, sections 2 & 3.
Public relations & lobbying
Americans for Medical Progress's (AMP) board of directors consists of senior executives and other representatives employed by the pharmaceutical and vivisection industries. Board members represent multinational, billion dollar corporations as well as universities and institutions receiving government grants for vivisection. They include: Charles River, Abbott Laboratories, GlaxoSmithKline, Pfizer, AstraZeneca and Wyeth. [4]
The company spent $2,840,000 for lobbying in 2006. In-house lobbyists along with 6 lobbying firms were used, including Mehlman Vogel Castagnetti. [5]
Political contributions
AstraZeneca gave $379,320 to federal candidates in the 2006 election through its political action committee - 28% to Democrats and 72% to Republicans. [6]
Corporate Donations
They Donate their products to AmeriCares. [1]
Personnel
Key executives and 2006 pay: [7]
- David R. Brennan, Chief Executive Officer and Executive Director, $3,210,000
- John Patterson, Executive Director of Drug Development, $ 1,580,000
- David Smith, Executive Vice President of Operations
Selected board members: [8]
- Louis Schweitzer, Non-Executive Chairman, Chairman of the Nomination Committee
- Jane Henney, Non-Executive Director
- Marcus Wallenberg, Non-Executive Director
Contact details
15 Stanhope Gate
London
W1K 1LN, United Kingdom
Phone: +44-20-7304-5000
Fax: +44-20-7304-5151
Web: http://www.astrazeneca.com
Articles & sources
SourceWatch articles
- Americans for Medical Progress
- War on Cancer
- American Cancer Society
- Pharmaceutical industry
- Animal testing
- Medical Industrial Complex
References
- ↑ Clinical Trials, AstraZeneca, accessed February 2009
- ↑ Inside Customers, Inside Huntingdon Life Sciences, accessed December 2008
- ↑ Frequently Asked Questions About Huntingdon Life Sciences, Inside HLS, accessed February 2009
- ↑ Board of Directors, Americans for Medical Progress, accessed February 2009
- ↑ AstraZeneca lobbying expenses, Open Secrets.
- ↑ 2006 PAC Summary Data, Open Secrets, accessed August 2007.
- ↑ AstraZeneca Key Executives, Yahoo Finance, accessed August 2007.
- ↑ Board of Directors, AstraZeneca, accessed August 2007.
External links
- Heather Thomlinson, "European market is inferior, says AstraZeneca", Guardian (UK), October 22, 2004.
- "AZ raises Crestor global PR clout", PR Week, May 20, 2005. (Sub req'd). (This article refers to AZ's PR team handling the controversy over its cholesterol-lowering drug Crestor.)
- Peter Rost, MD, "The Strange Profits from a Re-Branded Cancer Drug: How to Sell Drugs at $4,200 a Dose", Counterpunch, April 18, 2007.
- Stephenie Edwards Outsourcing of Primate Research Puts Animal Welfare in Question, Humane Society of the U.S., July 2006
