American Lung Association of Minnesota Receives $115,000 Grant

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February 23,

American Lung Association of Minnesota Receives $115,000 Grant

AstraZeneca recently presented the American Lung Association of Minnesota

(ALAMN) with an $115,000 educational grant to support the Asthma Clinical

Research Center Consortium of Minnesota, the Pulmonary Summercourse, the

Minnesota Asthma Coalition, the Cushing Medical Lecture and Minnesota asthma

camps.

" This support from AstraZeneca underscores the kind of partnership and

commitment that is essential when a community, such as ours, pulls together to

improve the health of children and adults suffering from asthma and other lung

diseases, " said Gerald W. Orr, CEO of ALAMN.

A portion of the grant will be directed toward the newly established Asthma

Clinical Research Center (ACRC) Consortium of Minnesota. The consortium brings

together researchers from the six institutions in Minnesota to conduct clinical

research along with eighteen similar centers across the country.

The AstraZeneca grant will establish the first annual Pulmonary

Summercourse, a regional physician education course co-sponsored with the

Minnesota Thoracic Society, to be held in July. In addition, the annual Cushing

Medical Lecture -- which in the past has drawn over 2,000 physicians and

healthcare professionals -- will benefit from the grant support. The April 19

lecture will feature the nationally renowned Randall Brown, MD, from the

University of Michigan, sharing his expertise about providing asthma education

within hard-to-reach populations.

AstraZeneca is a sponsor of the newly formed Minnesota Asthma Coalition,

which will provide a forum for information exchange among groups and individuals

interested in asthma. This statewide group will examine the various challenges

faced by people with asthma and facilitate activities to improve asthma

management by patients, families, communities and the health care system.

Finally, a portion of the AstraZeneca grant has been designated to the

asthma camps of Minnesota -- where over 12,000 children during the past 34 years

have learned how to effectively manage their asthma.

" Our company has a long-standing relationship with ALAMN and are proud to

support the Asthma Clinical Research Center in Minnesota, " said Jim Poker,

customer group manager for AstraZeneca LP. " To be part of an unprecedented

effort to combine Minnesota research forces in search of a better understanding

of asthma is exciting. While the research progresses, we will continue to work

with ALAMN to provide high quality asthma education to Minnesotans with asthma,

their families and health care providers. "

Achieving this level of monetary support provides AstraZeneca LP a

membership on the newly formed Research and Education Alliance. " The American

Lung Association of Minnesota works with a variety of pharmaceutical companies

that span the realm of prevention and treatment of lung disease, " said Mari

Drake, MPH, director of professional education and research at ALAMN. " The

alliance delivers top-notch programs and services in areas of mutual interest. "

The American Lung Association of Minnesota (ALAMN), serving Minnesotans

since 1903, is one of the oldest non-profit voluntary health organizations in

the nation. ALAMN provides advocacy, research, education and programs to

promote healthy air, healthy people and healthy lungs. Key areas of focus

include: outdoor and indoor air quality, asthma management, smoking prevention

and cessation, flu and pneumococcal vaccination, and lung disease management.

For more information please call 651-227-8014 or 1-800-642-5864 or visit us at

our websites at www.alamn.org or www.healthhouse.org .

AstraZeneca (NYSE: AZN) is a major international healthcare business engaged

in the research, development, manufacture and marketing of ethical

(prescription) pharmaceuticals and supply of healthcare services. It is one of

the top five pharmaceutical companies in the world with healthcare sales of $13

billion and leading positions in sales of gastrointestinal, oncology, anesthesia

including pain management, cardiovascular, central nervous system (CNS) and

respiratory products. In the United States, AstraZeneca is a $6 billion

healthcare business with approximately 9,500 employees.

SOURCE American Lung Association of Minnesota

CONTACT: , Media Relations Manager of the American Lung

Association of Minnesota, 651-268-7582, or cell, 651-470-7643