FORM 6-K
SECURITIES
AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington,
D.C. 20549
Report
of Foreign Issuer
Pursuant
to Rule 13a-16 or 15d-16 of
the
Securities Exchange Act of 1934
For the
month of January
2020
Commission
File Number: 001-11960
AstraZeneca PLC
1
Francis Crick Avenue
Cambridge
Biomedical Campus
Cambridge
CB2 0AA
United
Kingdom
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AstraZeneca PLC
INDEX
TO EXHIBITS
1.
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 and
follow the Company on Twitter @AstraZeneca.
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Adrian Kemp
Company Secretary
AstraZeneca PLC
SIGNATURES
Pursuant
to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the
Registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf
by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized.
Date:
27 January
2020
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By: /s/
Adrian Kemp
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Name:
Adrian Kemp
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Title:
Company Secretary
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