Astra raises guidance after higher vaccine sales
A swine flu vaccine windfall worth $152m (€102m) contributed to a leap in third quarter profits at UK drug giant AstraZeneca, the group revealed today.
AstraZeneca said it saw a 23% hike in profits and 10% rise in sales, helped in part by sales of its H1N1 vaccine as it began shipping doses earlier this month under the US immunisation programme.
The group has been signed up to deliver 40 million doses of the vaccine to the US for $453m (€306m).
Vaccine sales in the third quarter accounted helped Astra bank sales of $8.2bn (€5.5bn), with pre-tax profits rising to $3.03bn (€2.04bn).
The rest of the swine flu vaccine sales cash is due in the next three months and Astra today upped its full-year earnings guidance as a result of stronger-than-expected figures.
Fellow pharmaceutical firm GlaxoSmithKline yesterday confirmed expectations for £1bn (€1.12bn) in swine flu vaccine sales in the fourth quarter alone.
Governments begun their immunisation programmes this month, prioritising the high risk groups as they step up their battle against a feared winter surge in the pandemic.
