NASDAQ : AstraZeneca divests rights to established hypertension medicines

AstraZeneca divests rights to established hypertension medicines

27 January 2020 07:00 GMT

AstraZeneca divests rights to established hypertension medicines

Sale of Inderal, Tenormin, Tenoretic, Zestril and Zestoretic to Atnahs Pharma
supports AstraZeneca's strategy of focusing on pipeline of new medicines

AstraZeneca has agreed to sell the global commercial rights
to Inderal (propranolol), Tenormin (atenolol), Tenoretic (atenolol,
chlorthalidone fixed-dose combination), Zestril (lisinopril)
and Zestoretic (lisinopril, hydrochlorothiazide fixed-dose combination) to
Atnahs Pharma (Atnahs).

The agreement excludes the rights in the US and India, which were previously
divested, and in Japan, which will be retained by AstraZeneca. The medicines,
used primarily to treat hypertension, have lost their patent protection
globally.

Ruud Dobber, Executive Vice President, BioPharmaceuticals, said: 'These are
important established medicines, and the divestment to Atnahs ensures they will
continue to be available to patients. This transaction supports our strategy to
realise value from our portfolio of non-core mature brands, enabling further
investment in new medicines.'

AstraZeneca will continue to manufacture and
supply Inderal, Tenormin, Tenoretic, Zestril and Zestoretic to Atnahs during a
transition period.

Financial considerations
Atnahs will make an upfront payment of $350m to AstraZeneca. AstraZeneca may
also receive future sales-contingent payments of up to $40m between 2020 and
2022. Income arising from the upfront and future payments will be reported in
AstraZeneca's financial statements within Other Operating Income & Expense.

In 2018, Inderal, Tenormin, Tenoretic, Zestril and Zestoretic generated annual
sales of $132m in the markets covered by this agreement. The divestment is
expected to complete in the first quarter of 2020, subject to customary closing
conditions and regulatory clearances.

Inderal
Inderal (propranolol) is a beta-blocker and is predominantly used to treat
tremors, angina, hypertension, arrhythmias, and other heart or circulatory
conditions. It is also used to reduce the severity and frequency of migraine.

Tenormin and Tenoretic
Tenormin (atenolol) is a beta-blocker that is used to treat angina and
hypertension, as well as certain kinds of arrhythmias. It is also used to lower
the risk of death after a heart attack. Tenoretic is a fixed dose combination of
atenolol (beta-blocker) and chlorthalidone (diuretic), used to treat high blood
pressure.

Zestril and Zestoretic
Zestril (lisinopril) is an angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitor used to
treat hypertension, congestive heart failure, diabetic related conditions and
hypertensive renal disease. Zestril may also be used to improve survival after a
heart attack. Zestoretic is a fixed dose combination of lisinopril (ACE
inhibitor) and hydrochlorothiazide (diuretic) used to treat hypertension.

AstraZeneca
AstraZeneca (LSE/STO/NYSE: AZN) is a global, science-led biopharmaceutical
company that focuses on the discovery, development and commercialisation of
prescription medicines, primarily for the treatment of diseases in three therapy
areas - Oncology, Cardiovascular, Renal and Metabolism, and Respiratory.
AstraZeneca operates in over 100 countries and its innovative medicines are used
by millions of patients worldwide. Please
visit astrazeneca.com (http://www.astrazeneca.com/) and follow the Company on
Twitter @AstraZeneca (https://twitter.com/AstraZeneca).

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Adrian Kemp
Company Secretary
AstraZeneca PLC

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