CROMWELL, Conn. -- Vijay Singh was named this week’s AstraZeneca Charity Challenge winner for his first-place standing entering the final round of the Cialis Western Open. The AstraZeneca Charity Challenge, formerly known as the CRESTOR® Charity Challenge, is a season-long competition that recognizes and rewards the tournament leader entering the final round at 35 PGA TOUR events. Through the sponsorship, AstraZeneca will donate $3.5 million this year to designated health care charities and will have donated a three-year total of $9.7 million by the conclusion of the 2006 PGA TOUR season.

For Singh’s performance, AstraZeneca will donate $100,000 to the American Society of Gastrointestinal Endoscopy (ASGE), on behalf of Singh and the Cialis Western Open. ASGE is headquartered in Oak Brook, Ill.

“ASGE's members have not only enhanced how we visualize the entire gastrointestinal tract, but have made the logical extension: What can we treat, what can we do better?” said Francis J. Tedesco, MD, Chair, ASGE Foundation. “With this contribution from AstraZeneca, the ASGE Foundation will fund research and public education to help GI endoscopists remain on the cutting edge and have a major impact on patient care.” seases and promoting life-saving screening for colorectal cancer.”

AstraZeneca produces a wide range of products that make significant contributions to treatment options and patient care including CRESTOR, NEXIUM, SEROQUEL, ARIMIDEX, and PULMICORT RESPULES.

Through this year’s sponsorship, as part of its commitment to patient health and well being, AstraZeneca will also designate health care related charities across therapeutic areas as recipients at the 35 PGA TOUR events throughout the year.

“AstraZeneca’s partnership with the PGA TOUR is an integral part of our mission of giving back in local communities throughout America,” said Tony Zook, CEO, AstraZeneca U.S. “The AstraZeneca Charity Challenge offers a unique platform for providing important disease awareness, health information and education to make a difference in the lives of patients and consumers everyday.”

The AstraZeneca Charity Challenge is the centerpiece of a multi-year PGA TOUR partnership with AstraZeneca (NYSE:AZN). Last year, AstraZeneca donated $3.5 million through the program. Highlights from the AZCC include:

• Last week the AstraZeneca Charity Challenge winner at the Buick Championship was J.J. Henry

• At 19 of the 23 tournaments of 2006, the AstraZeneca Charity Challenge winner or co-winner has gone on to win the tournament

• More than 95 charities have benefited from the program

• Vijay Singh leads all players with nine AstraZeneca Charity Challenge wins. With some of his charitable “winnings,” Singh donated money to the American Red Cross Hurricane Relief Funds in Florida and New Orleans

• Other multiple winners have included Jim Furyk, Tom Lehman, Phil Mickelson and Rod Pampling (four), Stuart Appleby, Chad Campbell, Luke Donald, Sergio Garcia, Carl Petterson, Adam Scott and David Toms (three), and the following players who triumphed twice: Billy Andrade, Bart Bryant, Chris DiMarco, Tim Herron, Arron Oberholser, Joe Ogilvie, Kenny Perry, Ted Purdy, and Tiger Woods.

Fans can log on to www.astrazeneca.pgatour.com to read about past AstraZeneca Charity Challenge winners and learn more about AstraZeneca.

About the American Society for Gastrointestinal Endoscopy Foundation

The ASGE Foundation exists to further the goals of the American Society for Gastrointestinal Endoscopy (ASGE), an organization of more than 9,000 physician members worldwide. Funds raised by this unique and dedicated Foundation support and advance technological and clinical GI endoscopic research and raise awareness of digestive diseases and the role and benefits of GI endoscopy. Advances in GI endoscopy have had a profound impact on the practice of medicine and patients’ lives. Thanks to aggressive research, specialized physician training and public education, what was once unimaginable has become reality: GI endoscopists routines save and improve lives through early detection and treatment of colorectal, esophageal and pancreatic cancer, GERD and ulcerative colitis, among other digestive diseases. To learn more, visit www.asge.org/foundation. About ASGE: www.asge.org, 630-573-0600 and patient information: www.askasge.org; www.screen4coloncancer.org, 866-305-ASGE.

About AstraZeneca

AstraZeneca is a major international healthcare business engaged in the research, development, manufacture and marketing of prescription pharmaceuticals and the supply of healthcare services. It is one of the world’s leading pharmaceutical companies with healthcare sales of over $21.4 billion and leading positions in sales of gastrointestinal, cardiovascular, respiratory, oncology and neuroscience products. AstraZeneca is listed in the Dow Jones Sustainability Index (Global) as well as the FTSE4Good Index. Worldwide, AstraZeneca has six major research and development sites, four discovery facilities and a clinical research site. In total, AstraZeneca’s R&D organization is comprised of more 11,500 people located in seven countries including Canada, France, India, Japan, Sweden, United Kingdom and the United States.