ASTRAZENECA TO STREAMLINE US SALES ORGANISATION

ASTRAZENECA TO STREAMLINE US SALES ORGANISATION

 

AstraZeneca announced today that it will reduce its US sales force by
approximately 1,150 leadership positions and sales representatives as part of
the company’s ongoing strategy to operate its business more efficiently to best
serve patients in the US.

These changes, which were not included in previously announced efficiencies to
the US business, will account for roughly 24 per cent of the company’s sales
organisation in the US. The impact of the changes will vary by geography and
selling teams.

“These are difficult decisions that impact valued employees,” said Rich Fante,
President, AstraZeneca US. “The changes we are making, however, will help us
deliver better results for our business and, most importantly, continue
delivering on our mission of patient health.”

Employees will have the option to self-identify to potentially leave the
company. All decisions will be finalised by early February 2012.

This change to the US sales force is incremental to the ongoing second phase of
the company’s restructuring programme that was announced in January 2010. As a
result, a discreet restructuring cost associated with today’s announced changes,
estimated at between $50 million to $100 million, will be charged in the fourth
quarter of 2011. Restructuring costs are excluded from the company’s core
financial measures, so this initiative has no impact on guidance for core
earnings per share for 2011.

Media Enquiries Sweden
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