Pascal Soriot, Chief Executive Officer, commenting on the results said:
"AstraZeneca continued on its strong growth trajectory in 2021, with industry-leading R&D productivity, five of our medicines crossing new blockbuster thresholds, and the acquisition and integration of Alexion. We also delivered on our promise of broad and equitable access to our COVID-19 vaccine with 2.5 billion doses released for supply around the world, and we made good progress on reducing our greenhouse gas emissions.
Growth was well balanced across our strategic areas of focus, and we saw double-digit growth in all major regions, including Emerging Markets despite some headwinds in China.
The positive news from our pipeline, including approvals for Evusheld and Tezspire, supports the outlook for 2022. This, along with the transformative acquisition of Alexion, means that we are confident in our long term growth and profitability. After a landmark year in 2021, we are increasing the dividend for our shareholders."
