AZ Completes transaction with Acerta Pharma

ASTRAZENECA COMPLETES TRANSACTION FOR MAJORITY EQUITY STAKE INVESTMENT IN ACERTA
PHARMA

AstraZeneca today announced that it has completed the transaction to acquire a
majority equity stake in Acerta Pharma, a privately-owned biopharmaceutical
company based in the Netherlands and US. The transaction, announced in December
2015 (https://www.astrazeneca.com/our-company/media-centre/press
-releases/2015/AstraZeneca-enhances-long-term-growth-through-Oncology-investment
-in-Acerta-Pharma.html), provides AstraZeneca with a potential best-in-class
irreversible oral Bruton's tyrosine kinase (BTK) inhibitor, acalabrutinib (ACP
-196), currently in Phase II/III development for B-cell blood cancers and in
Phase I/II clinical trials in multiple solid tumours.

Upon completion of the agreement, AstraZeneca acquired 55% of the entire issued
share capital of Acerta for an upfront payment of $2.5 billion and a further
unconditional payment of $1.5 billion, to be paid either on receipt of the first
regulatory approval for acalabrutinib for any indication in the US, or the end
of 2018, depending on which is first.

An extensive development programme is underway for acalabrutinib with the
opportunity for initial regulatory submissions in the second half of 2016 for
the treatment of patients with specific types of haematological malignancies.
Expanding further into B-cell cancers, acalabrutinib is estimated to reach
potential peak-year sales in excess of $5 billion globally.

The investment also establishes in-house expertise for AstraZeneca in blood
cancers, through the substantial expertise offered by Acerta's approximately 150
employees.

NOTES TO EDITORS

About Acalabrutinib
Acalabrutinib is a highly selective, irreversible, second generation BTK
inhibitor, with approximately 1,000 patients treated to date in clinical studies
across the entire development programme. More than 600 patients have been
treated with acalabrutinib monotherapy. Phase I/II data showing a favourable
safety profile and strong efficacy in relapsed/refractory chronic lymphocytic
leukaemia patients was presented at the American Society of Hematology Annual
Meeting & Exposition in December 2015, with simultaneous publication in the New
England Journal of Medicine.

Potentially registrational studies in haematological malignancies are expected
to be submitted for regulatory filings in second half 2016. In addition, a head
-to-head study versus ibrutinib in high risk chronic lymphocytic leukaemia
patients is currently ongoing.

Acalabrutinib is also currently being tested in multiple Phase I/II studies in
solid tumours, as monotherapy or in combination with immune checkpoint
inhibitors or other standard of care regimens.

About Acerta Pharma
Acerta is a leader in the field of covalent binding technology and is applying
this technology to create novel selective therapies intended for the treatment
of cancer and autoimmune diseases. Acerta's lead molecule, acalabrutinib (ACP
-196), is a selective and potent inhibitor of BTK. Acerta is also developing ACP
-319, a novel isoform selective inhibitor of phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K)
delta. The company has operations in Oss, the Netherlands and multiple US sites.
The US headquarters is in Redwood City, CA.

About AstraZeneca in Oncology
AstraZeneca has a deep-rooted heritage in Oncology and offers a quickly growing
portfolio of new medicines that has the potential to transform patients' lives
and the Company's future. With at least 6 new medicines to be launched between
2014 and 2020 and a broad pipeline of small molecules and biologics in
development, we are committed to advance New Oncology as one of AstraZeneca's
six Growth Platforms focused on lung, ovarian, breast and blood cancers. In
addition to our core capabilities, we actively pursue innovative partnerships
and investments that accelerate the delivery of our strategy, as illustrated by
our investment in Acerta Pharma in haematology.

By harnessing the power of four scientific platforms -- immuno-oncology, the
genetic drivers of cancer and resistance, DNA damage repair and antibody drug
conjugates -- and by championing the development of personalised combinations,
AstraZeneca has the vision to redefine cancer treatment and one day eliminate
cancer as a cause of death.

About AstraZeneca
AstraZeneca is a global, innovation-driven biopharmaceutical business that
focuses on the discovery, development and commercialisation of prescription
medicines, primarily for the treatment of diseases in three main therapy areas -
respiratory, inflammation, autoimmune disease, cardiovascular and metabolic
disease and oncology - as well as in infection and neuroscience. AstraZeneca
operates in over 100 countries and its innovative medicines are used by millions
of patients worldwide. For more information please visit: www.astrazeneca.com



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Key: RIA - Respiratory, Inflammation and Autoimmunity, CVMD - Cardiovascular and
Metabolic Disease,
ING - Infection, Neuroscience and Gastrointestinal

02 February 2016

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