ASTRAZENECA EXPANDS U.S. FREE DRUG PROGRAM

An additional 3.8 million people in the U.S. without prescription drug coverage will be eligible for free drugs from AstraZeneca thanks to an expansion in the company's Patient Assistance Program.

Under the program, an individual earning under $30,000 per year or a family of four earning $60,000 or less per year that does not have drug coverage can receive AstraZeneca medications without paying, the company announced Nov. 1. Additionally, people with drug coverage who are undergoing financial hardship can apply to the program for temporary assistance.

Tony Zook, president of AstraZeneca, noted that a family earning the median U.S. household income of around $46,000 would qualify for the program after the expansion. The company expects the plan to help people in the lower and middle classes.

The company plans a national print and web advertising campaign later this month, alerting consumers about the assistance program, AstraZeneca said.

In 2005, AstraZeneca's assistance programs provided more than $751 million in savings to more than 712,000 patients lacking drug coverage, the company said. AstraZeneca added it has had drug assistance programs in place for nearly three decades.