Research and Development (R&D)

Our unique combination of curiosity and a fundamental commitment to patient health are the key drivers of research and development (R&D) at AstraZeneca Canada Inc. Looking beyond the obvious and solving problems innovatively enables our researchers to discover new and better treatments for a wide array of medical conditions and diseases.

The drive to discover and develop new treatments is the foundation of our formidable product portfolio. As a world leader in pharmaceutical research, AstraZeneca currently employs some 10,000 personnel in research and development, spends US$3.5 billion on R&D annually, and operates 11 research centres around the world.

Canada plays a key role in AstraZeneca’s global R&D strategy, with more than Cdn$2 million invested every week in this country on research and the pursuit of new therapies. Our highly skilled Canadian scientists are part of an integrated global team working to discover and design novel and effective pharmaceutical agents and technologies.

For example, AstraZeneca R&D Montréal, which is a cornerstone of the company’s vision to become the global leader in the therapeutic area of pain control, has more than 125 scientists involved in conducting leading-edge basic research. Opened in 1997, this state-of-the-art research facility has already filed patents on several new discoveries that we hope will one day lead to medicines that can improve the lives of people living with acute and chronic pain.

As part of our commitment to promoting research throughout Canada, AstraZeneca Canada Inc. has also introduced a number of key initiatives, such as the AstraZeneca Research Award program. Working with, among others, the Canadian Institutes of Health Research/Canada’s Research-Based Pharmaceutical Companies Research Program, the program is designed to fund research projects by scientists at Canadian universities and medical institutions.

AstraZeneca Canada Inc. also provides outstanding training opportunities for talented researchers and scientists by sponsoring research chairs and fellowships at Canada’s leading universities, including:

• AstraZeneca Chair in Organic Synthesis - University of Toronto
• Chair in Biotechnology - University of Toronto at Mississauga
• Asthma Chair - University of Alberta
• Moran Campbell Chair in Respirology - McMaster University
• Chair in Cardiovascular Research - McMaster University
• Chair in Respiratory Disease Management - University of Montréal
• AstraZeneca Chair in Schizophrenia - University of Saskatchewan
• AstraZeneca/Firestone Chair in Respiratory - McMaster University
• Richard Hunt/AstraZeneca Chair in Gastroenterology and Pharmacology - McMaster University
• Gerry McDole Research Fellowship, University of Manitoba

AstraZeneca Canada Inc. also maintains an active research liaison team, which identifies and communicates information on novel Canadian research and technology – such as pre-clinical investigation involving molecular biology, bioinformatics and combinatorial chemistry - to AstraZeneca’s global research and development group.