22 February 2022 11:00 GMT

Update on Succession Planning for Chair of the Board and Publication of Annual Financial Report

AstraZeneca PLC (the Company) announced today that Leif Johansson, Non-Executive Chair of the Board, intends to retire from the Board at the conclusion of the Company's Annual General Meeting (AGM) in 2023.

Mr Johansson was first elected to the Board in April 2012 and reached nine years' tenure as a Director in April 2021. Last year, the Board asked him to seek re-election at the 2021 AGM to lead the Board's oversight of completion of the acquisition of Alexion. Again this year, the Board believes it would be in the best interests of shareholders for Mr Johansson to seek re-election at the AGM in April 2022 and continue to serve as Chair for one further year, to facilitate succession planning and the transition to a new Chair.

The search for a new Chair is proceeding well, led by Philip Broadley, senior independent Non-Executive Director.

The Company also announced today the publication of its Annual Report and Form 20-F Information 2021 (the Annual Report).

A copy of the Annual Report has been submitted to the National Storage Mechanism and will shortly be available for inspection at https://data.fca.org.uk/#/nsm/nationalstoragemechanism.

The Annual Report is also available on the Company's website at: www.astrazeneca.com/annualreport2021.

The Annual Report will be dispatched to shareholders in due course.

The Company's AGM will take place on 29 April 2022. The Notice of AGM and Shareholders' Circular will be published and distributed to shareholders in due course.

EXPLANATORY NOTE

For the purposes of complying with the Disclosure and Transparency Rules (DTR) and the requirements imposed on issuers through the DTRs, the Annual Report, as submitted to the National Storage Mechanism, contains the following regulated information in unedited form:

-    The principal risks and uncertainties facing the Company;

-    The Directors' responsibility statement made in respect of the Financial Statements and Directors' Report contained in the Annual Report; and

-     A statement regarding related party transactions.

A copy of the Annual Report is available on the Company's website and has also been submitted to the National Storage Mechanism, where it will shortly be available for inspection.

AstraZeneca

AstraZeneca (LSE/STO/Nasdaq: AZN) is a global, science-led biopharmaceutical company that focuses on the discovery, development and commercialisation of prescription medicines, primarily for the treatment of diseases in Oncology, Rare Disease, and BioPharmaceuticals, including Cardiovascular, Renal & Metabolism, and Respiratory & Immunology. Based in Cambridge, UK, AstraZeneca operates in over 100 countries and its innovative medicines are used by millions of patients worldwide. Please visit astrazeneca.com and follow the Company on Twitter @AstraZeneca.

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Adrian Kemp
Company Secretary

AstraZeneca PLC