Post by : Bianca
Haleem
AstraZeneca outperformed market forecasts in the third quarter, driven by stronger-than-expected demand for its cancer and cardiovascular medicines, but the company kept its full-year guidance unchanged.
For the three months to September 30, revenue at constant currency reached $15.19 billion, a 10% increase year-on-year, above the $14.79 billion analysts had expected. Core earnings per share climbed 12% to $2.38, beating the $2.29 consensus.
The group attributed the momentum to key blockbuster products and is preparing to counter upcoming patent expiries — including on diabetes and heart drug Farxiga — with new launches such as a blood pressure therapy. U.S. sales, AstraZeneca’s largest market, rose 9% to $6.55 billion, while China contributed $1.76 billion, up 5% despite ongoing regulatory scrutiny.
Despite the stronger quarter, management maintained its full-year targets: high single-digit revenue growth and low double-digit growth in core earnings. The company pointed to rising costs and generic competition as reasons for not upgrading guidance; core operating expenses were up 9% to $21.6 billion over the first nine months.
AstraZeneca is also exploring a new U.S. drug-pricing arrangement and intends to list on the NYSE to bolster its capital position. Executives said any impact from the pricing deal should be manageable.
The results highlight AstraZeneca’s capacity to drive sales growth while also underscoring the commercial and regulatory challenges it faces as key patents approach expiry.
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