- Published date :
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Feb 17, 2009
- Expired date :
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Feb 17, 2040
February 17, 2009 – Wilmington, DE – AstraZeneca (NYSE: AZN) released the following statement regarding the health provisions included in the latest economic stimulus package signed by President Obama today:
"AstraZeneca applauds President Obama and Congress for including efforts to promote access to health care in the economic stimulus package. As a complement to the recent renewal of the State Children's Health Insurance Program, the economic stimulus legislation will help workers who lose their jobs retain health insurance and allow states to sustain their Medicaid programs.
"The bill provides government funding for short-term comparative effectiveness research. AstraZeneca stands for providing doctors and patients with the best available information about the benefits and risks associated with medicines and other health services, so the right patients can get the right treatments at the right times.
"As policymakers consider further comparative effectiveness research measures in the context of health care reform, we encourage them to keep clinical effectiveness at the forefront, recognizing the differences in the efficacy, safety, and tolerability of treatment interventions among individual patients. A narrow focus on cost-effectiveness can compromise patients' access to needed medicines and stifle innovation.
"In addition to providing information on the benefits and risks of our medicines, AstraZeneca is committed to helping people who have difficulty affording the medicines they need. In 2008 alone, we provided more than $612 million in savings to more than 440,000 patients through the AZ&Me Prescription Savings programs, and we are an ongoing member of the Partnership for Prescription Assistance."
About AstraZeneca
AstraZeneca is a major international healthcare business engaged in the research, development, manufacturing and marketing of meaningful prescription medicines and supplier for healthcare services. AstraZeneca is one of the world's leading pharmaceutical companies with healthcare sales of $29.55 billion and is a leader in gastrointestinal, cardiovascular, neuroscience, respiratory, oncology and infectious disease medicines. In the United States, AstraZeneca is a $13.35 billion dollar healthcare business with 12,200 employees committed to improving people’s lives. AstraZeneca is listed in the Dow Jones Sustainability Index (Global) as well as the FTSE4Good Index. For more information visit www.astrazeneca-us.com.
Media Contacts:
- Tony Jewell, AstraZeneca: 302-885-4594
