Between January 25 and March 18, 1999, Astra shareholders can exchange their shares in Astra for new shares in AstraZeneca, which will be one of the largest ethical pharmaceutical companies in the world.

The merger will create a winning combination. The research and marketing organizations of the two companies complement each other very well, and will give AstraZeneca a leading position in several key therapeutic areas.

"This merger of equals forms a company capable of leading the pharmaceutical industry in the future. The strengthened strategic position of AstraZeneca will create successful conditions for our employees, customers and shareholders alike”, says Astra's CEO, Håkan Mogren.

AstraZeneca will have the third largest R&D budget in the pharmaceutical industry, which will strengthen the company's future discovery and development capability, especially in exploiting new and costly technology investments. AstraZeneca's R&D pipeline will comprise of 55 NCEs (New Chemical Entities). AstraZeneca will have 14 new products scheduled to be launched by the end of 2001.