AstraZeneca’s Pascal Soriot awarded British knighthood

Pascal Soriot, AstraZeneca’s CEO

Soriot said, “I am truly humbled by this recognition. Growing up in France, I had many dreams and hopes for the future, but I never thought I would receive a knighthood from Her Majesty the Queen.”

“As an Australian citizen, it is a great privilege to receive this award and an honour to work with so many outstanding people around the world dedicated to following the science in order to bring medicines to patients. This recognition is also theirs and I would like to thank each of them for their commitment to our mission. I am also grateful to my family for their support in enabling me to pursue a career doing what I love,” he added.

A few days ago, Soriot was invited by Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh to visit Vietnam, to take the government’s long-term partnership with AstraZeneca to new heights. At the meeting, PM Chinh personally thanked the CEO for his leadership and support to supply Vietnam with 30 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines early, which contributed to Vietnam’s achievements in pandemic control.

In the coming time, the planned collaborations between AstraZeneca and the Vietnamese government will comprehensively enhance healthcare and sustainable development.

Since joining AstraZeneca a decade ago, Soriot led a turnaround that makes the UK-headquartered Company a scientific world leader with multiple innovative medicines and a global presence.

AstraZeneca also played a critical role in the global response to COVID-19. At the outset of the pandemic, the company made the vaccine available at no profit and the vast majority of doses supplied since then have been offered the cost rate. Today, three billion doses have been delivered to more than 180 countries with approximately two-thirds going to low- and lower-middle-income countries.

AstraZeneca continues to play a leading role in changing the course of the pandemic through the continued supply and distribution of the vaccine as well as Evusheld, a long-acting antibody combination designed to protect the most vulnerable people who are immuno-compromised and do not develop a response to COVID-19 vaccination.

Alongside leading AstraZeneca, Soriot is also driving change across the healthcare sector and beyond. In championing the Health Systems Taskforce of the Sustainable Markets Initiative, established by the Prince of Wales, Soriot is working with global leaders on actions to accelerate the delivery of net zero, sustainable healthcare.

He is also joint-chair of the UK Life Sciences Council, which brings together ministers and industry with the primary goal of ensuring the UK continues to be a global leader in life sciences.