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AstraZeneca

U.S. Headquarters:
1800 Concord Pike
P.O. Box 15437
Wilmington, DE 19850
Employees: 51,700 worldwide
Global CEO: Pascal Soriot
Stock Symbol: AZN

Website: http://www.astrazeneca.com

Career Site

AstraZeneca is one of the world's leading pharmaceutical companies, with a broad range of medicines designed to fight disease in important areas of healthcare.

The company's top medicines are: Seroquel (schizophrenia and bipolar disorder), Zoladex (prostate and breast cancer), Pulmicort (asthma and pulmonary disease), Symbicort (asthma and pulmonary disease).

World headquarters are in London with major offices in Sweden and the U.S.

Based in Wilmington, DE, AstraZeneca in the United States has research and development and supply facilities in Delaware and Massachusetts, as well as regional sales and business centers throughout the country. Wilmington also serves as the global home for the AstraZeneca neuroscience commercial and research and development areas. Our Boston location houses infection, oncology and discovery areas.

The company has 51,700 employees worldwide. It employs 14,400 employees in the Americas, 9,800 in research and development and 30,200 in sales and marketing.

AstraZeneca reported 2012 sales of $27.97 billion.

History

Atlas Powder Company

In 1912, Atlas Powder Company was created in Wilmington, Delaware, when DuPont Company sold two explosives divisions, as mandated by "trust busting" enactments during the Theodore Roosevelt presidency. In the 1960s, Atlas Powder Company changed its corporate name to Atlas Chemical Industries and purchased The Stuart Company.

The Stuart Company was renamed Stuart Pharmaceuticals, and became a division of Atlas Chemical Industries, with headquarters in Pasadena, California. An R&D unit dedicated to new drug research was established in Wilmington as part of Atlas' R&D facilities. It was acquired in 1972 by ICI.

Astra AB

In 1913, Astra AB, a small pharmaceutical company, was founded near Stockholm, Sweden. Astra began its own research and development operation in 1931 and entered the export market three years later.

In 1947, Astra USA, the US subsidiary of Astra AB, was incorporated and began operations in Worcester, Massachusetts. In 1981, Astra USA built new manufacturing facilities and a headquarters building in Westborough, Massachusetts. The following year, Astra AB and Merck signed a definitive agreement covering clinical trials, registration, and marketing in the US of products resulting from Astra's research. Astra/Merck (A/M), a new entity, was established in 1992 to market Astra products in the United States. Astra Merck Inc., a free-standing joint venture between Astra AB and Merck, was formed in 1994 as a new pharmaceutical company, focusing exclusively on marketing, sales, and drug development. In 1998, Astra Merck Inc. and Astra USA combined to form Astra Pharmaceuticals, LP, the US subsidiary of Astra AB. The new company was a limited partnership between Astra and Merck.
The Imperial Chemical Industries Ltd. (ICI)/Zeneca

ICI was formed in the UK in 1926. Ten years later, ICI formed a research organization to synthesize medically active compounds, and later to develop drugs. In 1967, ICI established a US presence in Stamford, Connecticut. A year later, the company created a US business unit, called ICI America (later called ICI United States, then ICI Americas).

In 1972, ICI acquired Atlas Chemical Industries, and moved the US headquarters of ICI America from Stamford to the Fairfax campus in Wilmington, Delaware. Headquarters of the Stuart Pharmaceuticals Division was also relocated from Pasadena to offices in Concord Plaza in Wilmington, Delaware.

Zeneca

In 1992, in the US, ICI Americas Inc. changed its name to Zeneca Inc. and then created a new company to be called ICI Americas Inc., both owned by ICI PLC. Zeneca comprised ICI's bioscience businesses, while ICI Americas Inc. incorporated ICI's chemical businesses. In 1993, Zeneca Group PLC and ICI PLC formally demerged into two separate and independent companies. Zeneca Group PLC became a global bioscience company based in the UK with businesses in pharmaceuticals, agricultural chemicals, and specialty chemicals. In the US, Zeneca Inc. took over the former ICI Americas Inc. headquarters complex in Fairfax. Zeneca's pharmaceuticals group in the US was renamed Zeneca Pharmaceuticals.

The next year, Zeneca Holdings formed Stuart Disease Management Services (SDMS) in the US, providing disease management programs and services to managed care and other healthcare companies. In 1995, Zeneca acquired a 50% stake in Salick Healthcare, Inc., a leading cancer treatment organization with comprehensive cancer centers located in major cities throughout the US Zeneca acquired the balance of Salick in 1996.

Stuart Company

Retired hosiery magnate Arthur Hanisch, famous for the invention of Bobbie Sox, created The Stuart Company in Pasadena, California, in 1941. Stuart manufactured and marketed the first stable liquid multivitamin, called The Stuart Formula.* Hanisch's original $2,500 investment in The Stuart Formula generated $200,000 in sales in its first year.

In the 1950s, The Stuart Company launched several innovative pharmaceutical products, including the first chewable vitamin tablet, first capsule-shaped tablet, first effervescent laxative formulation, and first instant liquid vitamin mix. Hanisch also undertook a personal philanthropic project with heart transplant pioneer Michael DeBakey to develop the first synthetic arterial graft made of tube-knitted Dacron. It was purchased by Atlas Chemical Industries in the 1960s.
AstraZeneca-as we know it, today

On April 6, 1999, the merger of Zeneca group PLC and Astra AB was accepted by both companies' shareholders and trading began on the New York Stock Exchange. The new symbol of the company is "AZN". On April 29, 1999, Wilmington, Delaware, was selected as the site for the company's US headquarters.

Benefits

Health and welfare

All full- and part-time employees who work a minimum of 18.75 hours per week are eligible to elect the following health and welfare benefits:

* Medical-coverage through either a PPO or an HMO. Employees may cover spouses, domestic partners, and/or eligible dependents or choose to opt out of coverage and receive cash back (unless the employee is covered under a spouse's AstraZeneca plan).
* Dental-a PPO plan with general and specialty dentists. Employees may use any dentist to receive services in or out of network, or may opt out of coverage and receive cash back (unless the employee is covered under a spouse's AstraZeneca plan).
* Vision-The vision plan at AstraZeneca is optional. For those employees who elect coverage, vision expenses will be covered, up to specified amount.
* AstraZeneca drugs-When prescribed by a physician, all AstraZeneca medications are free of charge to qualifying employees and their eligible dependents.
* Disability-short-term disability provides full or partial income replacement for eligible employees for up to 26 weeks of disability. Long-term disability coverage is provided to pay benefits when an employee is out of work for more than 26 weeks. AstraZeneca pays the full cost of long-term disability coverage at 60% base pay replacement, up to certain amounts.
* Life/accident insurance-basic life insurance of one times base pay, up to $250,000, is automatically provided.
Group universal life and supplemental term life-optional coverage wherein employees may purchase additional insurance in amounts from one to five times their base pay, up to $1,250,000. Employees can also purchase coverage for their spouse/domestic partner and/or children, depending on the laws of the state where they live.
* Accidental death and dismemberment-coverage equal to one to five times base pay, as well as coverage for family members, may be elected.
* Flexible spending accounts-allows employees to set aside part of their salary on a before-tax basis to pay for qualifying healthcare expenses or qualifying dependent care expenses:
o Healthcare
o Dependent care
* Long-term care-protects against the financial effects of long-term illness or injury. This voluntary plan provides benefits for home and nursing facility care. Employees and their spouses (or domestic partners), parents, and parents-in-law may enroll.
* Other voluntary benefits-employees can enjoy group/discounted rates on home, auto, pet insurance, and MetDesk, a resource for disabled children.
* Employee assistance program-provides employees and covered family members with confidential assistance for a wide range of concerns, including free face-to-face mental health and substance abuse sessions (up to eight visits) with experienced counselors.

401(k) savings and security plan

Employees may contribute from 1% to 50% of their eligible pay on a before-tax or after-tax basis through payroll deductions. They direct the investment of their contributions and all company-matching contributions among 19 different funds. AstraZeneca makes matching contributions of 75 cents for each dollar an employee contributes, up to 6% of eligible pay. Company-matching contributions are 100% immediately vested. In addition, plan participants who are 50 or older during the calendar year may elect to make Catch-Up Contributions.

Retirement plan

A defined-contribution, money-purchase plan through which the company establishes an individual account for each employee and makes contributions on a periodic basis. Employees have the flexibility to direct the investment and can choose from a wide variety of funds. Employees are 100% vested in their retirement plan account upon completion of five years of service.
Matching gift program

AstraZeneca will match 100% of any contribution employees make to any college or university or to a properly certified foundation or association connected with a college or university.

Flexible work arrangements

AstraZeneca currently offers flexible work arrangements for full-time employees in select positions, with their hiring manager's approval:

* Flextime-employees work 37.5 hours per week but vary their workday start and end times around core hours.
* Flexible Fridays (compressed work week)-employees work 37.5 hours per week but work a longer day Monday through Thursday and a half day on Friday.
* Part-time-employees work fewer than 37.5 hours per week. Those who work at least 18.75 hours per week are eligible for employee benefits, with some modifications.
* Teleworking-employees engage in office-type work at home or at another work site for one day or more each week.

Vacations and holidays

The number of vacation days for which full- and part-time employees qualify is based on tenure with the company. Numerous paid holidays are offered, including floating holidays, which can be scheduled as needed.

Adoption assistance

Full-time employees and those working at least 18.75 hours a week are eligible for adoption assistance reimbursement of up to $5,000 per child for certain expenses.

Parental leave policy

Up to 52 weeks of combined paid and unpaid leave are available for birth, adoptive, and foster parents.
Child care programs

* On-site holiday/end-of-summer programs-our Wilmington headquarters site hosts on-site programs for school holidays and the end of summer.
* AstraZeneca Child Development Center at Rockland-a child care center located on a 10-acre site near the company's Wilmington headquarters provides primary care for children up to age five, backup care for infants to preschoolers, and additional programs for school-aged children. Company-subsidized tuition is based on household income. This high-quality program is designed to meet the accreditation standards of the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC). Accommodates up to 347 children.
* Massachusetts child care programs-AstraZeneca and Bright Horizons provide employees with child care options, including a tuition subsidy at two Waltham-based centers and priority access to waiting lists, reduced registration fees, and backup care on a space-available basis at Bright Horizons child care centers throughout the state.
* Tuition discounts-in an effort to help our employees meet the cost of child care, AstraZeneca's Work/Life Team has entered into tuition discount agreements with several child care providers. They are KinderCare, Knowledge Learning, La Petite Academy, and The Malvern School.

Other work/life programs

* AstraZeneca LifeSolutions resource and referral service-assists in finding the providers, information, and resources needed to manage personal and professional matters, including child care, financial, legal, education, and everyday issues. The service also provides the Comprehensive Eldercare Solutions and Solutions for Nursing Mothers programs.
* Just-in-time care-assists in finding emergency backup dependent care when regular care is unavailable. AstraZeneca will subsidize 90% of up to 10 days of such care for each employee annually.
* College Coach-the benefit is available free of charge to employees interested in college and educational issues that affect them and their children. The program assists employees and their families in selecting, applying to, and financing college. The College Coach benefit includes training workshops, one-on-one counseling, a help desk, and a Virtual Learning Center.

Updated June 3, 2013