AstraZeneca — Ethics Grade C

AstraZeneca receives an overall ethics grade of C (55/100) on CancelCo's corporate accountability database. Sector: Pharmaceuticals. Market cap: Large Cap.

Category scores

• labor: 60
• privacy: 50
• consumer: 40
• environment: 65
• humanRights: 60

Documented incidents (3)

• Seroquel Marketing Kickbacks (high, 2010) — The company paid $520 million to settle allegations that it paid doctors to promote the antipsychotic drug Seroquel for unapproved uses, including aggression in elderly patients and sleeplessness.
• COVID Vaccine Data Mishaps (medium, 2021) — US health officials publicly reprimanded AstraZeneca for using 'outdated information' in its vaccine clinical trial results, which 'may have provided an incomplete view of the efficacy data.' This led to significant public trust erosion.
• Manufacturing Waste in Rivers (medium, 2018) — Research found traces of high concentrations of drugs in water downstream from manufacturing sites in India used by AstraZeneca, potentially contributing to the rise of antibiotic-resistant 'superbugs'.

Documented good deeds

• Non-Profit Vaccine Model — The company initially provided its COVID-19 vaccine on a non-profit basis to developing nations during the acute phase of the pandemic.

Ethical alternatives

• Moderna — Cleaner regulatory track record regarding historical marketing fraud and kickbacks.