Northwest-based AstraZeneca has announced several senior management changes at MedImmune, the company's recently-acquired biotech business unit.

Dave Mott, president and chief executive officer (CEO) of MedImmune, will leave the company at the end of the month.

Tony Zook, AstraZeneca's executive vice-president of global marketing, has been appointed as head of MedImmune on an interim basis.

David Brennan, CEO of AstraZeneca, said that under Mr Mott's leadership, MedImmune has built a "unique capability" to discover, develop and deliver cutting-edge biologic treatments.

"We will continue to build on that strong platform, maximising the potential of products in the MedImmune portfolio while delivering innovative new biological medicines and vaccines," he added.

AstraZeneca recently published a set of figures that showed pre-tax profits were up 12 per cent to $2.65 billion, although does not include restructuring costs associated with the takeover of MedImmune.

The company, which has a massive research and development base in Cheshire, attributed this growth to "continued efficiencies".