3.30.2006 ET

(CSRwire) New Orleans, LA and Wilmington, DE - AstraZeneca, one of the world's leading pharmaceutical companies, today presented $1 million to the Medical Center of Louisiana at New Orleans (MCLNO) to help increase patient access to primary care and improve healthcare outcomes to citizens in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. MCLNO is operated by the Louisiana State University (LSU) Health Care Services Division.

Specifically, the donation will help expand MCLNO's state-of-the-art telemedicine system and support healthcare programs in six community-based health centers planned to open in the greater metropolitan New Orleans area this year. The health centers will offer primary care services, such as those offered by family physicians, pediatricians and internists, and, in some locations, specialty services as community needs dictate.

"These centers will be fundamental in rebuilding the health care infrastructure for under- and uninsured people in the area. They will also serve patients who otherwise may not have had access to doctors and care because our healthcare facilities were damaged by Hurricane Katrina," said Dr. William Jenkins, president, LSU System. "Increased access, coupled with innovative technology such as the telemedicine system, is a critical step forward in the rebuilding process."

The telemedicine system, the first of its kind for this type of health center in the region, will play an integral role in providing patients with access to doctors that aren't on-staff in their local facility, including those who specialize in treating conditions such as diabetes, asthma and even cancer. It will allow professionals on MCLNO's main campus to have two-way, real-time visual and verbal communication with the community-based sites, resulting in easier and quicker accessibility between doctors and patients.

"The devastation of Hurricane Katrina continues to impact residents throughout the Gulf Region, including more than 100 of our own employees," said Tony Zook, President and CEO, AstraZeneca US. "By helping to rebuild and expand the MCLNO health network, we hope to greatly enhance the delivery of medical services and make healthcare a more personal experience for this community."

Don Smithburg, executive vice president, LSU System and CEO of LSU Healthcare Services Division said, "Since the time Hurricane Katrina struck, AstraZeneca has been committed to providing immediate relief and rebuilding this region's healthcare community. This company's continued commitment to the Gulf Region will impact the lives of thousands of citizens residing in our region."

To date, AstraZeneca has contributed $2.6 million in cash, and $3.3 million in free medicine to victims of Hurricane Katrina. AstraZeneca also collaborated with organizations such as the Association of Black Cardiologists to provide medical relief and the National Council for Community Behavioral Healthcare to aid community mental health centers reaching out to displaced and relocated hurricane evacuees with serious mental illness.

About AstraZeneca

AstraZeneca (NYSE: AZN) is a major international healthcare business engaged in the research, development, manufacture and marketing of prescription pharmaceuticals and the supply of healthcare services. It is one of the world's leading pharmaceutical companies with healthcare sales of $23.95 billion and leading positions in sales of gastrointestinal, cardiovascular, neuroscience, respiratory, oncology and infection products. In the United States, AstraZeneca is a $10.77 billion healthcare business with more than 12,000 employees. AstraZeneca is listed in the Dow Jones Sustainability Index (Global) as well as the FTSE4Good Index.

For more information about AstraZeneca, please visit: www.astrazeneca-us.com

About LSU HCSD

The LSU Health Care Services Division hospital and clinic system is the largest provider of health care in Louisiana, with more than 1.2 million patient visits annually to 350 outpatient clinics, and 46,000 admissions to nine hospitals.

For more information about LSU Health Care Services Division, please visit: www.lsuhsc.edu/hcsd

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