Annual Financial Report
15 February 2021 11:00 GMT
Annual Financial Report
AstraZeneca PLC (the Company) announced today the publication of its Annual Report and Form 20-F Information 2020 (the Annual Report).
A copy of the Annual Report will be 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/annualreport2020.
The Annual Report will be dispatched to shareholders in due course.
The Company's Annual General Meeting (AGM) will take place on 30 April 2021. The Notice of AGM and Shareholders' Circular will be published and distributed to shareholders in due course.
EXPLANATORY NOTE AND WARNING
Solely for the purposes of complying with Disclosure and Transparency Rule (DTR) 6.3.5R and the requirements it imposes on issuers as to how to make public annual financial reports, we set out below:
- in Appendix A, the principal risks and uncertainties facing the Company;
- in Appendix B, the Directors' responsibility statement made in respect of the Financial Statements and Directors' Report contained in the Annual Report; and
- in Appendix C, a statement regarding related party transactions.
The appendices have been extracted from the Annual Report in unedited full text. This information should be read in conjunction with the Company's fourth quarter and full year results 2020 announcement, issued on 11 February 2021, which contained a condensed set of financial statements and an Operating and financial review, and which can be found at www.astrazeneca.com/investor-relations/results-and-presentations.html. Together, these constitute the material required by DTR 6.3.5R to be communicated to the media in unedited full text through a Regulatory Information Service.
Page numbers and section cross-references in the appendices refer to pages and sections in the Annual Report. Defined terms used in the appendices refer to terms as defined in the Annual Report.
This material is not a substitute for reading the full Annual Report.
APPENDIX A
The Board has carried out a robust assessment of the Principal and Emerging risks facing the Group. The table overleaf provides insight into the ongoing Principal Risks, outlining why effective management of these risks is important and relevant to the business, how we are managing them and which risks are rising, falling or have remained static during the past 12 months. The procedures in place to identify emerging risks are explained below.
Managing risk
Our approach to risk management is designed to encourage clear decision making on which risks we take and how we manage these risks. Fundamental to this process is a sound understanding of every risk's potential strategic, commercial, financial, compliance, legal and reputational implications.
We work to ensure that we have effective risk management processes in place to support the delivery of our strategic priorities. This enables us to meet the expectations of our stakeholders and upholds our Values. The Board believes that existing processes provide it with adequate information on the risks and uncertainties we face. Further information
can be found in Risk from page 254, which includes a description of circumstances under which Principal and other risks and uncertainties might arise in the course of our business and their potential impact.
| Risk category and Principal Risks | Context/potential impact | Management actions |
| Product pipeline and intellectual property | ||
| Failure or delay in the delivery of our pipeline or launch of new medicines | The development of any pharmaceutical product candidate is a complex, risky and lengthy process involving significant financial, R&D and other resources. A project may fail or be delayed at any stage of the process due to a number of factors, which could reduce our long-term growth, revenue and profit. | > Prioritise and accelerate our pipeline. Strengthen pipeline through acquisitions, licensing and collaborations.> Focus on innovative science in three main therapy areas. |
| Failure to meet regulatory or ethical requirements for medicine development or approval | Our pharmaceutical products and commercialisation processes are subject to extensive regulation. Delays in regulatory reviews and approvals impact patients and market access, and can materially affect our business or financial results. | > Quality management systems incorporating monitoring, training and assurance activities.> Collaborating with regulatory bodies and advocacy groups to monitor and respond to changes in the regulatory environment, including revised process, timelines and guidance. |
| Failure to obtain, defend and enforce effective IP protection or IP challenges by third parties | Discovering and developing medicines requires a significant investment of resources. For this to be a viable investment, new medicines must be safeguarded from being copied for a reasonable amount of time. If we are not successful in obtaining, maintaining, defending or enforcing our IP rights, and face competition from generic or biosimilar products, our revenues could be materially adversely affected.Third parties may allege infringement of their IP, and may seek injunctions and/or damages, which, if ultimately awarded, could adversely impact our commercial and financial performance. | > Active management of IP rights and IP litigation. |
| Commercialisation | ||
| Pricing, affordability, access and competitive pressures | Operating in more than 100 countries, we are subject to political, socioeconomic and financial factors, both globally and in individual countries. There can be additional pressure from governments and other healthcare payers on medicine prices and sales in response to recessionary pressures, which may lead to a reduction in our revenue, profits and cash flow. | > Focus on sales platforms.> Demonstrating value of medicines/ health economics.> Global footprint.> Diversified portfolio. |
| Failure or delays in the quality or execution of the Group's commercial strategies | If commercialisation of a product does not succeed as anticipated, or its rate of sales growth is slower than anticipated, there is a risk that we may not be able to fully recoup related launch costs. | > Focus on sales platforms.> Accelerate execution of plans and risk share through business development and strategic collaborations and alliances. |
| Supply chain and business execution | ||
| Failure to maintain supply of compliant, quality medicines | Delays or interruptions in supply can lead to recalls, product shortages, regulatory action, reputational harm and lost sales revenue. | > Establishment of new manufacturing facilities, creating capacity and technical capability to support new product launches.> Contingency plans including dual sourcing, multiple suppliers, and close monitoring and maintenance of stock levels.> Business continuity and resilience initiatives, disaster and data recovery and emergency response plans.> Quality management systems. |
| Failure in information technology or cybersecurity | Significant disruption to our IT systems or cybersecurity incidents, including breaches of data security, could harm our reputation and materially affect our financial condition or results of operations. This could lead to regulatory penalties or non-compliance with laws and regulations. | > Cybersecurity framework and dashboard.> Disaster and data recovery plans.> Strategies to secure critical systems and processes.> Regular cybersecurity and privacy training for employees. |
| Failure to attract, develop, engage and retain a diverse, talented and capable workforce | Failure to attract and retain highly-skilled personnel may weaken our succession plans for critical positions in the medium term. Employee uncertainty as a result of, for example, Brexit or organisational change may result in a lower level of employee engagement which could impact productivity and turnover. Both could adversely affect the achievement of our strategic objectives. | > Targeted recruitment and retention strategies deployed.> Identification and active support of staff potentially impacted by Brexit.> Development of our employees.> Evolve our culture. |
| Legal, regulatory and compliance | ||
| Safety and efficacy of marketed medicines is questioned | Patient safety is very important to us and we strive to minimise the risks and maximise the benefits of our medicines. Failure to do this could adversely impact our reputation, our business and the results of operations, and could lead to product liability claims. | > Robust processes and systems in place to manage patient safety and efficacy trends as well as externally reported risks through regulatory agencies and other parties. This includes a comprehensive pharmacovigilance programme supplemented by close monitoring and review of adverse events. |
| Adverse outcome of litigation and/or governmental investigations | Investigations or legal proceedings could be costly, divert management attention and/or damage our reputation and demand for our products. Unfavourable resolutions could subject us to criminal liability, fines, penalties or other monetary or non-monetary remedies, adversely affecting our financial results. | > Combined internal and external counsel management. |
| Failure to meet regulatory and ethical expectations on commercial practices, including anti-bribery and anti-corruption, and scientific exchanges | Any failure to comply with applicable laws, rules and regulations, including anti-bribery and anti-corruption legislation, may result in civil and/or criminal legal proceedings and/or regulatory sanctions, fines or penalties, impacting financial results. | > Strong ethical and compliance culture.> Established compliance framework including annual Code of Ethics training for all employees.> Focus on due diligence and oversight of third-party engagements. |
| Economic and financial | ||
| Failure to achieve strategic plans or meet targets or expectations | Failure to implement successfully our business strategy may frustrate the achievement of our financial or other targets or expectations. This failure could, in turn, damage our reputation and materially affect our business, financial position or results of operations. | > Focus on sales platforms and innovative science in three main therapy areas.> Strengthen pipeline through acquisitions, licensing and collaborations.> Appropriate capital structure and balance sheet.> Portfolio-driven decision making process governed by senior executive-led committees. |
APPENDIX B
This statement relates to and is extracted from the Annual Report. It is repeated here solely for the purpose of complying with DTR 6.3.5. It is not connected to the information presented in this announcement or in the Company's fourth quarter and full year results 2020 announcement that was published on 11 February 2021.
Directors' responsibility statement pursuant to DTR 4
The Directors confirm that to the best of our knowledge:
- the Financial Statements, prepared in accordance with the applicable set of accounting standards, give a true and fair view of the assets, liabilities, financial position and profit or loss of the Company and the undertakings included in the consolidation taken as a whole
- the Directors' Report includes a fair review of the development and performance of the business and the position of the issuer and the undertakings included in the consolidation taken as a whole, together with a description of the principal risks and uncertainties that they face
On behalf of the Board of Directors on 11 February 2021
Pascal Soriot
Director
APPENDIX C
Related party transactions
The Group had no material related party transactions which might reasonably be expected to influence decisions made by the users of these Financial Statements
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 three therapy areas - Oncology, 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.
Contacts
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Adrian Kemp
Company Secretary
AstraZeneca PLC
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