ASTRAZENECA STRENGTHENS CARDIOVASCULAR AND METABOLIC DISEASE PORTFOLIO WITH ACQUISITION OF ZS PHARMA

AstraZeneca to acquire ZS Pharma for $90 per share

Acquisition includes potential best-in-class hyperkalaemia treatment currently
under US FDA regulatory review



Acquisition expected to contribute Product Sales from 2016 and benefit
AstraZeneca's return to growth strategy

AstraZeneca announced today that it has entered into a definitive agreement to
acquire ZS Pharma (NASDAQ: ZSPH), a biopharmaceutical company based in San
Mateo, California. ZS Pharma uses its proprietary ion--trap technology to
develop novel treatments for hyperkalaemia (high potassium levels), a serious
condition of elevated potassium in the bloodstream, typically associated with
chronic kidney disease (CKD) and chronic heart failure (CHF).

The transaction will give AstraZeneca access to the potassium-binding compound
ZS-9, a potential best-in-class treatment for hyperkalaemia, a condition
associated with increased mortality in CKD and CHF. ZS-9 is under regulatory
review by the US Food and Drug Administration with a Prescription Drug User Fee
Act goal date of 26 May 2016. A submission for European Marketing Application
Authorisation is planned by the end of 2015. Current estimates for global peak
year sales of ZS-9 exceed $1 billion.

The acquisition continues AstraZeneca's track record of targeted business
development with a focus on three main therapy areas. ZS Pharma represents a
strong fit with AstraZeneca's pipeline and portfolio in Cardiovascular &
Metabolic Disease, one of the company's three main therapy areas. AstraZeneca's
strategy focuses on reducing morbidity, mortality and organ damage by addressing
multiple risk factors across cardiovascular disease, diabetes and chronic kidney
disease. ZS-9 complements the company's increasing focus on CKD and CHF,
including the investigational medicine roxadustat, which is currently in Phase
III development for patients with anaemia associated with CKD, as well as its
leading diabetes portfolio.

Pascal Soriot, Chief Executive Officer of AstraZeneca, said: "Hyperkalaemia can
be a life-threatening condition for patients with chronic kidney disease and
chronic heart failure, however the risk is underappreciated and prevalence is
increasing. This acquisition complements our strategic focus on Cardiovascular
and Metabolic Disease by adding a potential best-in-class treatment to our
portfolio of innovative medicines. We look forward to welcoming the ZS Pharma
team to AstraZeneca."

Under the terms of the agreement, AstraZeneca will acquire all of the
outstanding capital stock of ZS Pharma for $90 per share in an all-cash
transaction, or approximately $2.7 billion in aggregate transaction value.

Upon completion, ZS Pharma, which has around 200 employees across three sites in
California, Texas and Colorado, will become a wholly owned subsidiary of
AstraZeneca. The transaction does not impact AstraZeneca's financial guidance
for 2015. It is expected to generate Product Sales from 2016, with minimal
earnings dilution over 2016 and 2017, becoming accretive to AstraZeneca's core
earnings from 2018.

Robert Alexander, Chief Executive Officer, ZS Pharma, said: "This agreement will
allow us to maximize the potential of ZS-9, drawing on AstraZeneca's long
-standing expertise in developing and commercializing medicines for
cardiovascular and metabolic diseases. We look forward to joining AstraZeneca
and to working together to bring this important treatment for hyperkalaemia to
the global market, helping to meet an important unmet medical need for
patients."

Terms of the acquisition

The acquisition is structured as an all-cash tender offer for all outstanding
shares of ZS Pharma common stock at a price of $90 per share, followed by a
merger in which each remaining untendered share of ZS Pharma common stock would
be converted into the same $90 cash per share consideration as in the tender
offer.

Under the terms of the merger agreement, AstraZeneca will commence a tender
offer to acquire all outstanding shares of ZS Pharma's common stock. The Board
of Directors of ZS Pharma has unanimously approved the terms of the agreement.

Subject to customary conditions, including the tender of a majority of the
outstanding ZS Pharma shares and the expiration or earlier termination of the
waiting period under the Hart-Scott-Rodino Antitrust Improvements Act of 1976,
the transaction is expected to close by the end of 2015. The transaction is not
subject to a financing condition.

Conference call for investors and analysts

AstraZeneca will host a conference call for investors and analysts at 14:00 GMT
/ 09:00 EST on 6 November 2015. A presentation will be available for download
from the Investor Relations section of
astrazeneca.com (https://www.astrazeneca.com/) (Our company > Investor
Relations) before the conference call starts.

Telephone dial-in details for investors and analysts:

                        Dial-in
UK                      08003767922
Sweden                  020792102
United States           18669661396
International back-up   +44 (0) 2071 928000

ID code: 73006905. You must quote this number to get on the call.

Listen-only dial-in details for media:

                        Dial-in
UK                      08006945707
Sweden                  0200883084
United States           18662540808
International back-up    +44 (0) 1452 541003

ID code: 73081105. You must quote this number to get on the call.

CAUTIONARY STATEMENT REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS

SOME OF THE STATEMENTS CONTAINED IN THIS ANNOUNCEMENT ARE FORWARD LOOKING
STATEMENTS, INCLUDING STATEMENTS REGARDING THE EXPECTED CONSUMMATION OF THE
ACQUISITION, WHICH INVOLVES A NUMBER OF RISKS AND UNCERTAINTIES, INCLUDING THE
SATISFACTION OF CLOSING CONDITIONS FOR THE ACQUISITION, SUCH AS REGULATORY
APPROVAL FOR THE TRANSACTION, THE TENDER OF A MAJORITY OF THE OUTSTANDING SHARES
OF COMMON STOCK OF ZS PHARMA, THE POSSIBILITY THAT THE TRANSACTION WILL NOT BE
COMPLETED AND OTHER RISKS AND UNCERTAINTIES DISCUSSED IN ZS PHARMA'S PUBLIC
FILINGS WITH THE UNITED STATES SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION (SEC),
INCLUDING THE "RISK FACTORS" SECTIONS OF ZS PHARMA'S ANNUAL REPORT ON FORM 10-K
FOR THE YEAR ENDED DECEMBER 31, 2014 AND SUBSEQUENT QUARTERLY REPORTS ON FORM 10
-Q, AS WELL AS THE TENDER OFFER DOCUMENTS TO BE FILED BY SUBSIDIARIES OF
ASTRAZENECA AND THE SOLICITATION/RECOMMENDATION TO BE FILED BY ZS PHARMA. THESE
STATEMENTS ARE BASED ON CURRENT EXPECTATIONS, ASSUMPTIONS, ESTIMATES AND
PROJECTIONS, AND INVOLVE KNOWN AND UNKNOWN RISKS, UNCERTAINTIES AND OTHER
FACTORS THAT MAY CAUSE RESULTS, LEVELS OF ACTIVITY, PERFORMANCE OR ACHIEVEMENTS
TO BE MATERIALLY DIFFERENT FROM ANY FUTURE STATEMENTS. THESE STATEMENTS ARE
GENERALLY IDENTIFIED BY WORDS OR PHRASES SUCH AS "BELIEVE," "ANTICIPATE,"
"EXPECT," "INTEND," "PLAN," "WILL," "MAY," "SHOULD," "ESTIMATE," "PREDICT,"
"POTENTIAL," "CONTINUE" OR THE NEGATIVE OF SUCH TERMS OR OTHER SIMILAR
EXPRESSIONS. IF UNDERLYING ASSUMPTIONS PROVE INACCURATE OR UNKNOWN RISKS OR
UNCERTAINTIES MATERIALIZE, ACTUAL RESULTS AND THE TIMING OF EVENTS MAY DIFFER
MATERIALLY FROM THE RESULTS AND/OR TIMING DISCUSSED IN THE FORWARD-LOOKING
STATEMENTS, AND YOU SHOULD NOT PLACE UNDUE RELIANCE ON THESE STATEMENTS.
ASTRAZENECA AND ZS PHARMA DISCLAIM ANY INTENT OR OBLIGATION TO UPDATE ANY
FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS AS A RESULT OF DEVELOPMENTS OCCURRING AFTER THE DATE
HEREOF OR OTHERWISE.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION AND WHERE TO FIND IT

THIS COMMUNICATION IS FOR INFORMATIONAL PURPOSES ONLY AND DOES NOT CONSTITUTE AN
OFFER TO PURCHASE OR A SOLICITATION OF AN OFFER TO SELL ZS PHARMA COMMON STOCK.
THE OFFER TO BUY ZS PHARMA COMMON STOCK WILL ONLY BE MADE PURSUANT TO A TENDER
OFFER STATEMENT (INCLUDING THE OFFER TO PURCHASE, LETTER OF TRANSMITTAL AND
OTHER RELATED TENDER OFFER MATERIALS). INVESTORS AND SECURITY HOLDERS ARE URGED
TO READ BOTH THE TENDER OFFER STATEMENT (WHICH WILL BE FILED BY SUBSIDIARIES OF
ASTRAZENECA WITH THE SEC AND THE SOLICITATION/RECOMMENDATION STATEMENT ON
SCHEDULE 14D-9 WITH RESPECT TO THE TENDER OFFER (WHICH WILL BE FILED BY ZS
PHARMA WITH THE SEC) WHEN THEY BECOME AVAILABLE BECAUSE THEY WILL CONTAIN
IMPORTANT INFORMATION, INCLUDING THE TERMS AND CONDITIONS OF THE OFFER.
INVESTORS AND SECURITY HOLDERS MAY OBTAIN A FREE COPY OF THESE MATERIALS (WHEN
AVAILABLE) AND OTHER DOCUMENTS FILED BY ASTRAZENECA AND ZS PHARMA WITH THE SEC
AT THE WEBSITE MAINTAINED BY THE SEC AT WWW.SEC.GOV. THE TENDER OFFER STATEMENT
AND RELATED MATERIALS, AND THE SOLICITATION/RECOMMENDATION STATEMENT, MAY ALSO
BE OBTAINED (WHEN AVAILABLE) FOR FREE BY CONTACTING ASTRAZENECA INVESTOR
RELATIONS - SEE CONTACT DETAILS BELOW.

COPIES OF THESE MATERIALS AND ANY DOCUMENTATION RELATING TO THE TENDER OFFER ARE
NOT BEING, AND MUST NOT BE, DIRECTLY OR INDIRECTLY, MAILED OR OTHERWISE
FORWARDED, DISTRIBUTED OR SENT IN, INTO OR FROM ANY JURISDICTION WHERE TO DO SO
WOULD BE UNLAWFUL.

About Hyperkalaemia
Hyperkalaemia, or high potassium levels, occurs in 23-47% of patients with
chronic kidney disease and/or chronic heart failure, and can lead to cardiac
arrest and death (mortality up to 20%). Treatment with common heart medicines
can also be responsible for increases in hyperkalaemia. Current therapeutic
options are limited, leaving high unmet medical need, in particular for
treatments with rapid onset of action and no significant drug-drug interaction
risk.

About ZS-9

ZS-9 is a proprietary zirconium silicate compound and is manufactured as
odourless, tasteless crystals. It acts as a highly selective potassium trap, is
administered orally in 5 to 15g doses mixed with three tablespoons of water, is
not systemically absorbed and is excreted in faeces. Clinical studies indicate
that ZS-9 is stable at room temperature and has a rapid onset of action. Current
estimates for global peak year sales of ZS-9 exceed $1 billion. Pending and
granted patents, some under license, have expiries out to 2032 and beyond.

About ZS Pharma

ZS Pharma, founded in 2008, is a publicly traded biopharmaceutical company
dedicated to challenging the status quo in disease states where therapeutic
options have been limited. The company has been focused on using its proprietary
ion-trap technology to develop new treatments of kidney and liver diseases that
are focused on addressing unmet needs in the medical community. For more
information, please visit: www.zspharma.com.

About AstraZeneca in Cardiovascular & Metabolic Disease (CVMD)

Cardiovascular, metabolic disease and chronic kidney disease are key areas of
focus for AstraZeneca as part of the company's strategy for achieving scientific
leadership and returning to growth. Our patient-led strategy is focused on
addressing the multiple risk factors facing CVMD and CKD patients at different
stages of their disease, with the goal of reducing morbidity and mortality
through life changing medicines. One of the innovative medicines currently in
Phase III development is roxadustat as a potential therapy for anaemia
associated with chronic kidney disease, in patients on dialysis and those who
are not on dialysis. The global development programme is being conducted by
FibroGen in collaboration with AstraZeneca and Astellas.



About AstraZeneca

AstraZeneca is a global, innovation-driven biopharmaceutical business that
focuses on the discovery, development and commercialisation of prescription
medicines, primarily for the treatment of cardiovascular, metabolic,
respiratory, inflammation, autoimmune, oncology, infection and neuroscience
diseases. AstraZeneca operates in over 100 countries and its innovative
medicines are used by millions of patients worldwide. For more information
please visit: www.astrazeneca.com.

CONTACTS

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Investor Enquiries
UK
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Key: RIA - Respiratory, Inflammation and Autoimmunity, CVMD - Cardiovascular and
Metabolic Disease,

ING - Infection, Neuroscience and Gastrointestinal

06 November 2015

-ENDS-