AstraZeneca Canada Inc.

Huntington Ridge PS students Loveleen Gaidhu (left) and Nagam Amer (right), both age 8, perform physical activity at their school in Mississauga, Wednesday, October 29, 2008, with Canadian Idol Eva Avila and Rae, a character from the newly launched children's wellness program, At My Best. Created by AstraZeneca Canada and Physical and Health Education Canada, At My Best promotes exercise, healthy eating and emotional well-being for kids from kindergarten to grade three. MARKETWIRE PHOTO/AstraZeneca Canada Inc.

MISSISSAUGA, ONTARIO--(Marketwire - Oct. 29, 2008) -

Editors Note: A photo for this release will be available via Marketwire on the picture wire of The Canadian Press

Today, AstraZeneca Canada and Physical and Health Education Canada (PHE Canada) announced the launch of the groundbreaking children's wellness initiative At My Best^TM. Aimed at improving the health and well-being of Canadian children, At My Best is a unique school-based program that focuses on three key areas of wellness: physical, nutritional and emotional health. With most children are not getting the daily minimum requirement of fruits and vegetables and a quarter of Canadian children being either overweight or obese, At My Best is a comprehensive and innovative solution to these disturbing issues. Developed by PHE Canada and AstraZeneca Canada, At My Best has been officially endorsed by the College of Family Physicians of Canada and will be available to primary schools across the country.

Aimed at students in kindergarten to grade three, At My Best was piloted in a number of Mississauga schools from January to June 2008. The pilot was a resounding success with teachers across the region, with the majority assessing the program as extremely positive and describing their students' reactions to the program as being very enthusiastic. During the pilot, teachers noticed that At My Best had an observable impact on their students who began making healthier choices, increasing their physical activity levels and displaying more confidence. Pilot teachers also found At My Best easy to use and engaging for their students. Parents credited At My Best with encouraging their kids to make a focused effort to eat healthier foods. They also noted that their children had an increased knowledge of the connection between physical activity, healthy eating and emotional well-being.

"While there is growing awareness about increasing levels of physical inactivity and unhealthy lifestyle habits among children and youth, there is increased pressure on schools and the greater community to play a role in reversing these trends," says PHE Canada President Mark Jones. "Many schools across Canada welcome the provision of high quality, user-friendly resources that can support the delivery of quality school health and physical education programs. We're happy to get involved and make that happen."

As a company that cares about the health of all Canadians, it was important for AstraZeneca Canada to team up with an organization like PHE Canada, which has a strong history of promoting health and wellness programs within Canadian schools. AstraZeneca Canada and PHE Canada assembled a team of educators with expertise in physical education, nutrition, health promotion and children's wellness. Working with this team of educators while gathering feedback from parents, children and health experts, the two organizations created a comprehensive, turn-key program that aims to help reduce childhood obesity rates, improve nutritional health and raise children's self-esteem.

"AstraZeneca Canada was proud to join forces with PHE Canada to address the rising rates of obesity and physical inactivity among Canadian children," says AstraZeneca Canada President and CEO Mark Jones. "We are also extremely grateful to the teachers and schools that participated in our pilot program. Due to their assessment and feedback, we look forward to continuing to reach more children as we roll out the program across the country. Our goal is to help Canadian children thrive."

"It was extremely exciting to be part of the development of At My Best," says Dr. James Mandigo, Associate Professor, Brock University and member of the At My Best writing team. "This resource should serve as a valuable tool to support the delivery of quality health and physical education programs, while at the same time assisting teachers in delivering quality DPA experiences."

To date, AstraZeneca Canada has invested $4 million in the development and launch of At My Best. The company will contribute more than $1 million in 2009 and will continue to make significant investment, in subsequent years to help bring At My Best to primary schools across the country.

At My Best Pilot in Peel

The At My Best pilot ran from January to June 2008 and involved 39 Peel-region schools, which accounted for approximately 5,000 students (ranging from four to eight years old), and up to 120 teachers. Schools in the Region of Peel offer a very diverse representation of children and families that includes rural and urban settings and a range of socio-economic backgrounds, cultures and ethnicities. The experiences gained in these schools over the past six months has helped with refining At My Best before the national launch.

"We were pleased to receive the opportunity for Dufferin-Peel schools to participate in the exciting pilot of the At My Best program," says Marianne Mazzorato, Superintendent of Programs, Dufferin-Peel Catholic District School Board. "The introduction of the resource was eagerly received by Dufferin-Peel educators who were excited to use the program to help our students understand the importance of a healthy lifestyle."

About Physical and Health Education Canada

Physical and Health Education Canada, formerly the Canadian Association for Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance (CAHPERD), is a national, charitable voluntary-sector organization whose primary concern is to influence the healthy development of children and youth by advocating for quality, school-based physical and health education. PHE Canada's vision is "All Canadian children and youth living physically active and healthy lives" and as such advocates and educates for quality physical and health education programs within supportive school and community environments. For more information, visit www.phecanada.ca.

About AstraZeneca Canada Inc.

AstraZeneca is a leading global pharmaceutical company with an extensive product portfolio spanning six major therapeutic areas: gastrointestinal, cardiovascular, infection, neuroscience, oncology, and respiratory. AstraZeneca's Canadian headquarters are located in Mississauga, Ontario, and its state-of-the-art drug discovery centre is based in Montreal, Quebec. As a company that cares about the health of all Canadians, AstraZeneca Canada Inc. is proud to take an active leadership role in supporting health initiatives including At My Best, Frontline Health and many others. For more information, please visit the company's website at www.astrazeneca.ca.

Visit At My Best^TM online at www.atmybest.ca.