AstraZeneca has also offered Iressa for free to more than 5, 000 patients through their oncologists in a compassionate-use program for lung cancer.

FORBES: A Homegrown Pipeline

Thanks to its compassionate-use program, though, AstraZeneca had extra help.

FORBES: Cover Story

The company set up a 20-person team to evaluate "compassionate use" requests from patients who faced imminent death.

FORBES: Cover Story