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Pharma-giant AstraZeneca today jumped on the swine flu bonanza bandwagon, with H1N1 vaccine sales helping it raise annual profit forecasts.
Britain's number two drugmaker posted a 24% rise in third-quarter pre-tax profit to $3 billion (£1.8 million) as it benefited from “unanticipated revenue” from its H1N1 vaccine and a blood-pressure blockbuster.
Astra sold $152 million worth of swine-flu vaccines in the three months to October, and was also boosted by sales of Toprol-XL, a blood pressure drug which saw sales soar after the US medicines watchdog took two of its generic rivals off the market over safety fears.
In total, the drugmaker raked in $8.2 billion in sales over the three months to October, from $7.7 billion last year.
Revenue from emerging markets also rose, up 15%, and chief executive David Brennan said these sales were on track for double-digit growth for the full year.
He added that the firm had “made progress” on its new drug pipeline, with watchdog-approval for diabetes medicine Onglyzatm and developments on blood-thinning pill, Brilinta.
