AstraZeneca (AZ) is a global prescription-based biopharmaceutical company. AZ uses its focus on drugs and biologics to create innovative, large revenue pharmaceuticals. The industry and AZ has faced deteriorating R&D productivity, but AZ has streamlined its R&D activity and is depending on external research and in-licensing to bolster the development of new products. AZ is reliant on its strong growth from emerging and less penetrated markets to offset its underperforming and declining sales from the US and Western Europe.