The turbulent history and current potential are examined of POZEN, a North Carolina-based pharmaceutical company, whose fortunes took a turn for the positive at the beginning of August 2006 when it turned away from its migraine drugs, unsuccessful to date, to enter into a global collaboration agreement with AstraZeneca. The deal is for fixed-dose combinations, in a single tablet, of the proton pump inhibitor esomeprazole magnesium with the NSAID naproxen sodium. The product is indicated for pain and inflammation associated with osteoarthritis in patients who are at risk of developing NSAID-associated gastric ulcers.