• David Brennan, Senior Vice President, Commercialization and Portfolio Management.
• Ron Krall, M.D., Senior Vice President, Clinical Development and Regulatory Affairs.
• David Bescherer, Senior Vice President, Finance and Chief Financial Officer
• Lynn Tetrault, Vice President, Human Resources
• Rob Cohen, Vice President, Chief Information Officer
• Glenn Engelmann, Vice President and General Counsel
• Alan Milbauer, Vice President, Public Affairs
• Bob Milkovics, Vice President, Operations.

In addition, Johansson named Barry Greene as vice president, Strategic Integration, responsible for guiding the merger integration process in the US. John Goddard will remain chief financial officer of Zeneca Inc. and chairman of Salick Healthcare Inc. and will be responsible for all group finance matters, including tax and treasury in the US. Goddard will report to Jon Symonds, group chief financial officer.

Other appointments announced today include Jim O'Shea as vice president, Marketing and Tony Zook as vice president, Sales.

"Now that the merger is approved — one of the fastest approvals ever achieved for a merger of this size — we will intensify the integration process," said Johansson. "We look forward to operating as a single, new company as quickly as possible."

For now, Astra and Zeneca are continuing separate operations while the two companies begin working to integrate their employees, processes and facilities. They expect to begin combining their operations within a couple of months.

AstraZeneca PLC Background Information

The newly formed AstraZeneca PLC (NYSE:AZN) ranks third worldwide and seventh in the United States among pharmaceutical companies based on sales. AstraZeneca's corporate headquarters will be based in London, while Research & Development will operate from Sodertalje, Sweden, with research centers in Sweden, U.K. and the U.S. A site for the US headquarters has not yet been selected; that site will be announced by May 1999.

The merger creates a major pharmaceutical presence for Astra and Zeneca in the United States, which accounts for more than half the sales of the new company. The 4,000-member pharmaceutical sales force of the combined American companies, Astra Pharmaceuticals, L.P. and Zeneca Pharmaceuticals, will become the second largest in the nation. In 1998, total pro forma group sales of Astra and Zeneca reached $17.2 billion, while combined net global pharmaceutical sales for the two companies totaled $12.8 billion, a 15% increase over 1997. In the US, net sales of the two American companies totaled $5.8 billion*, an increase of 27% over 1997 performance. The new company ranks fourth in the Delaware Valley** based on total company revenue and number of headquarters employees, at 4,000 people.

The merger produces a complementary product line in three therapeutic areas: cardiovascular, respiratory, and local and general anesthetic therapeutic areas. Astra and Zeneca are well known for their strengths in the gastrointestinal and oncology therapeutic areas.

Astra Pharmaceuticals, L.P., is the subsidiary of Astra AB of Sweden (NYSE:A), a $7 billion international pharmaceutical company with operations in 40 countries. The company is a leader in the development of gastrointestinal, cardiovascular, respiratory, pain control and dental products. The company's Internet website is www.astrapharmaceuticals.com .

Zeneca Pharmaceuticals is a business unit of Zeneca Inc., a $4 billion bioscience company with approximately 8,300 employees in the US. Zeneca Inc., is a wholly- owned subsidiary of the UK-based Zeneca Group PLC (NYSE:ZEN), a major $9.1 billion international bioscience business engaged in the research, development, manufacture and marketing of ethical (prescription) pharmaceuticals, agricultural and specialty chemical products, and the supply of healthcare services. The company's Internet site is www.usa.zeneca.com .

* Computed by full consolidation method, based on 1/1/97 transaction date
**Philadelphia Business Journal Book of Lists, 12/15 and 12/25/98.

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