Asia PR News

LUND, Sweden, March 29 /PRNewswire-AsiaNet/ –

AstraZeneca has today welcomed preliminary results from the TORCH (TOwards
a Revolution in COPD Health) study(1), suggesting combination therapies
containing an inhaled corticosteroid (ICS) and long-acting beta 2 agonist
(LABA) have the potential to show mortality benefits for COPD patients.

The reported 17% reduction in mortality compared to placebo shown by the
combination of an ICS and LABA further demonstrates the beneficial effects of
this class of medicines and the positive impact on the lives of COPD patients.
AstraZeneca looks forward to a more detailed presentation of the data.

Coupled with the mortality data, the preliminary results also underline
the importance of preventing exacerbations as the key driver of mortality.
Reduction of exacerbations is an area where the budesonide / formoterol
ICS/LABA therapy (marketed by AstraZeneca as Symbicort(R)) has strong clinical
data. Of particular note, a study(2) by Calverley et al. demonstrated that
Symbicort reduced risk of exacerbations* by 30% and 29% compared to formoterol
and placebo respectively, resulting in a clinically important improvement in
Health Related Quality of Life (HRQL) compared to placebo.

Patients with COPD regard exacerbations as the aspect of their disease that
they fear most. Severe acute exacerbations of COPD are associated
independently with a poor prognosis and increased mortality. Studies have shown
that between 22% - 43% of COPD patients hospitalised due to an
exacerbation will be dead within one year(3,4,5,6).

COPD is a major cause of death worldwide and is currently the fourth most
common cause of death after cancer, ischemic heart disease and cerebrovascular
disease. Of these diseases, only COPD shows increasing rates of mortality. By
2020, COPD is anticipated to become the third most common cause of death
worldwide.

For further information, or to speak to a respiratory expert about the
clinical implications of today’s TORCH results, please do not hesitate to
contact:

Anette Orheim, AstraZeneca Office: +46-46-33-80-87
Mobile: +46-709-13-19-52

Or

Jim Baxter, Cohn & Wolfe Office: +44-207-331-5371
Mobile: +44-790-060-5652

* Definition of an exacerbation: requiring medical intervention (oral
antibiotics/and/or corticosteroids or hospitalisation)

References:

1. GSK Press Release ‘GSK announces positive results of Seretide study in
patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)’ 28th March
2006 (http://www.gsk.com/media/pressreleases.htm)

2. Calverley PM, Boonsawat Z, Zhong N, Peterson S and Olsson H.
Maintenance therapy with budesonide and formoterol in chronic
obstructive pulmonary disease. Eur Resp J 2003; 22; 912-919.

3. Eriksen N, et al. Ugeskr Laeger 2003;165:3499-3502

4. Groenewegen KH, et al. Chest 2003;124:459-467

5. Almagro P, et al. Chest 2002;121:1441-1448

6. Connors AF, et al. Am J Respir Crit Care Med 1996;154:959-967

SOURCE: AstraZeneca

NOTE TO EDITORS:
For accredited international medical media only

CONTACT: Anette Orheim of AstraZeneca
+46-46-33-80-87 or mobile: +46-709-13-19-52

Jim Baxter of Cohn & Wolfe
+44-207-331-5371 or mobile: +44-790-060-5652

for AstraZeneca