The company is making the investment to facilitate continuous new product launches expected in Japan during the next several years.

The investment will increase operational efficiency and packaging capacity by expansion of the company's Maihara factory, in Shiga Prefecture, and to transfer and integrate equipment and employees of its Sanda factory, in Hyogo Prefecture, as well as building additional packaging facilities there for the new products. Distribution activities at the AstraZeneca Maihara factory and Toyonaka distribution centre, in Osaka Prefecture, will close and will be outsourced.

Construction at Maihara is scheduled to start in this month (March) with projected completion in June next year (2002). Equipment and employees will be transferred from Sanda to Maihara in July next year (2002). The integration of the factories and distribution centres will be completed by the end of next year (2002) and Sanda factory will close in the first quarter of 2003.