ASTRAZENECA AND MERCK AGREE TO AMEND SECOND OPTION
AstraZeneca today announced that AstraZeneca and Merck have agreed to amend certain provisions of the agreements relating to the companies’ arrangements in the United States. AstraZeneca believes that the amendments provide a greater degree of certainty to the valuation of the Second Option that is preferable to the previous arrangements and, barring unforeseen circumstances, the company now intends to exercise the Second Option in 2014. The principal areas covered by the amendments are a change in the timing for AstraZeneca to exercise the Second Option, and agreement on the