British pharmaceutical group AstraZeneca posted second-quarter results that beat expectations, driven by its cancer treatments. The company confirmed its guidance for the full year 2026.
AstraZeneca's net profit rose more than 2% in the three months ending June, reaching $2,51 billion (€2,2 billion), compared to the same period a year earlier. Total revenue climbed 5% at constant exchange rates to $15,38 billion (€13,49 billion), driven by sales of cancer drugs and treatments for rare diseases.
The most closely watched indicator by the markets, adjusted earnings per share, came in at $2,63, an 18% increase at constant exchange rates. This figure exceeded the average analyst forecast of $2,48. Shares of the Cambridge-based group rose 1,4% in early trading on Monday on European markets, recovering after a decline in early July.
This stock market correction followed the unexpected failure of a late-stage clinical trial for the drug Wainua, a rare setback for the company. CEO Pascal Soriot nevertheless asserted that the company remained "on track" to achieve its goal of $80 billion in revenue by 2030. "We remain confident in the strength of our pipeline and expect more than 20 high-stakes clinical trial results over the next 18 months," he stated.
AstraZeneca is also eyeing the obesity treatment market, currently dominated by Denmark's Novo Nordisk and the US's Eli Lilly. Results published in June showed that patients receiving the highest dose of its experimental pill, elecoglipron, lost an average of 10,5% of their body weight after 26 weeks, a figure that rose to 11,8% after 36 weeks. If these data are confirmed in further trials, the company could establish itself in this highly lucrative segment.
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