AZ News From The Street 2016

Dr. Reddy's (RDY) Relaunches Generic Nexium in the U.S.

• 
  Dr. Reddy's Laboratories Ltd. RDY announced that it has re-launched esomeprazole magnesium delayed-release capsules, the generic version of AstraZeneca PLC’s AZN Nexium, in the U.S. The re-launch is due to a change in the color of the capsule.
  
  We remind investors that in Nov 2015, Dr Reddy’s announced that the District Court of Delaware has granted a temporary restraining order with immediate effect on sales, delivery, transfer or other disposition of the company’s generic version of Nexium in the U.S. after AstraZeneca objected to the usage of the color purple in the generic version.
  
  We note that Nexium is approved in the U.S. for the treatment of the symptoms of acid reflux disease, which typically include persistent heartburn on two or more days per week, despite treatment and change of diet.
  
  Dr Reddy’s Global Generics segment generated sales of $500 million in the second-quarter fiscal 2016, up 14.4% year over year driven by strong sales in North America, Europe and India.
  
  To the date of announcement of its second-quarter fiscal 2016 results, the company had 76 Abbreviated New Drug Applications (ANDAs) pending FDA approval, of which 50 are Para IV filings and 18 had a “first-to-file” status.
  
  Dr. Reddy's currently carries a Zacks Rank #5 (Strong Sell).

 

J&J Kicking AZ's Ass With Jardiance!

Not surprising. It's a much better drug and we all know it!

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/eli-lillys-diabetes-pill-takes-233343208.html

 

Incyte and AstraZeneca Announce New Lung Cancer Clinical Trial Collaboration

• WILMINGTON, Del.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--
  
  Incyte Corporation (Nasdaq:INCY) and AstraZeneca (AZN) today announced a new collaboration to evaluate the efficacy and safety of Incyte’s Janus-associated kinase (JAK) 1 inhibitor, INCB39110, in combination with AstraZeneca’s next generation epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) inhibitor, Tagrisso® (osimertinib). The combination will be assessed as a second-line treatment for patients with EGFR mutation-positive non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), who have been treated with a first generation EGFR tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI) and subsequently developed the T790M resistance mutation.
  
  There is increasing evidence that signaling through the JAK-STAT (signal transducer and activator of transcription) pathway could be a contributing factor in resistance to EGFR TKI treatment in patients with EGFR mutation NSCLC. Blocking both JAK and EGFR activity may therefore offer an improved targeted treatment benefit in some patients.
  
  Under the terms of the agreement, AstraZeneca and Incyte will collaborate on a Phase 1/2 study, to be conducted by Incyte. The Phase 1 part of the trial is expected to establish a recommended dose regimen for the combination of INCB39110 and Tagrisso while the Phase 2 part of the study will assess the safety and efficacy profile. Results from the study will be used to determine whether further clinical development of this combination is warranted.
  
  “The expansion of our research collaboration with AstraZeneca will allow us to further our understanding of these two compounds and explore their potential synergies both of which support our goal of delivering innovative medicines that will benefit patients with cancer or other diseases,” said Rich Levy, MD, Chief Drug Development Officer, Incyte. “We look forward to adding to our ongoing clinical research for INCB39110 and exploring the potential of this combination.”
  
  “We are pleased to be building on our existing relationship with Incyte and exploring a potentially exciting combination for lung cancer patients who have developed a resistance to first generation EGFR inhibitor treatment,” said Antoine Yver, Head of Oncology, Global Medicines Development at AstraZeneca. “This collaboration allows us to explore further ways in which Tagrisso, our first-in-class T790M-directed tyrosine kinase inhibitor, can help meet urgent unmet patient need, following its accelerated approval in the U.S. and the recent positive CHMP opinion, recommending approval in Europe.”
  
  This agreement builds on an existing collaboration between the two companies, announced in May 2014, to explore AstraZeneca’s anti-PD-L1 immune checkpoint inhibitor, durvalumab, in combination with Incyte’s oral indoleamine dioxygenase-1 (IDO1) inhibitor, epacadostat (INCB24360).
  
  About INCB39110
  
  INCB39110 is an orally bioavailable, isoform-selective inhibitor of Janus-associated kinase 1 (JAK1). JAK1 activity is believed to play an important role in both autoimmune and oncologic diseases. JAK1 forms heterodimeric complexes with JAK2, JAK3 or TYK2 and functions as an immunomodulatory and inflammatory signalling kinase. Selective JAK1 inhibition prevents STAT signaling downstream of a number of cytokines, including IL-6, IL-10 and interferon-gamma. Consistent with the dominant role for JAK1 in mediating heterodimeric JAK/STAT signaling, JAK1 inhibition has been shown to result in equivalent efficacy compared to balanced JAK1/JAK2 modulation in a variety of preclinical solid and liquid tumor models. INCB39110 will be investigated in clinical trials as monotherapy in graft versus host disease (GvHD) and in several combination-based therapeutic regimens, including with PI3Kδ (INCB50465), IDO1 (epacadostat) and EGFR (Tagrisso) inhibitors.
  
  About Tagrisso (osimertinib)
  
  Tagrisso (osimertinib) is the only approved medicine indicated for adult patients with metastatic EGFR T790M mutation-positive non-small cell lung cancer. This indication is approved under the FDA’s accelerated approval process based on tumour response rate and duration of response (DoR). Osimertinib is being compared with platinum-based doublet chemotherapy in the confirmatory AURA3 Phase III study in patients with EGFR T790M-positive, locally advanced, or metastatic NSCLC who have progressed after EGFR-TKI therapy. It is also being investigated in the adjuvant and metastatic first-line settings, including in patients with brain metastases, and in combination with other compounds.
  
  Non-clinical in vitro studies have demonstrated that osimertinib has high potency and inhibitory activity against mutant EGFR phosphorylation across the range of clinically relevant EGFRm and T790M mutant NSCLC cell lines, with significantly less activity against EGFR in wild-type cell lines.

 

uh, J&J sells Invo.......Lilly/BI sell Jar.

 

Boosted by CV data, Lilly's Jardiance grabs market share from J&J, AZ
January 6, 2016 | By Carly Helfand

Eli Lilly ($LLY) may have laid out 2016 guidance on Tuesday that fell short of analysts' expectations. But it had good news, too: Its Type 2 diabetes med, Jardiance, has already begun stealing market share from its SGLT2 rivals since the drugmaker and partner Boehringer Ingelheim unveiled positive new cardiovascular data.

As Lilly's diabetes president, Enrique Conterno, told investors on a conference call, Jardiance's new-to-brand share of the SGLT2 market has recently jumped to 25% from 15%. That share has been climbing since the release of the results from EMPA REG, an outcomes study that showed that Jardiance--the first diabetes med to cut the combined risk of heart attack, stroke and death from cardiovascular causes in high-risk Type 2 diabetes patients--could do so by 14%.

And this is only the beginning, Conterno predicted, forecasting a couple more "inflection points" in the short-term. One of those will come when that data makes its way onto Jardiance's label, and on that front, the pharma giant has already submitted it for inclusion in both the U.S. and the EU. Conterno expects the other when the American Diabetes Association (ADA) and European Association for the Study of Diabetes (EASD) issue new treatment guidelines based on the study results.

Meanwhile, it's not such great news for Johnson & Johnson's ($JNJ) Invokana and AstraZeneca's ($AZN) Farxiga, Jardiance's rival meds in the SGLT2 class. J&J won't have long-term heart safety data for its product until next year, Reuters notes, while AstraZeneca will have to wait until 2019 to see if its med can measure up to Jardiance in that department. And until then, among SGLT2 therapies, Lilly will have the claim all to itself.

One company that doesn't have to worry, as far as Lilly is concerned? Merck ($MRK). According to the Indianapolis drugmaker, Jardiance's new data has had very little impact on DPP-4 drugs, such as Merck powerhouse Januvia. Instead, it said, the main class that'll feel the heat from Jardiance is sulfonylureas--generics that doctors usually prescribe earlier on in therapy.

 

AstraZeneca Shares Higher Following Barclays Upgrade

By Jim Swanson 1 hour ago

• • Shares of AstraZeneca plc (ADR) (NYSE: AZN) have declined 15.04 percent over the past one year, from $35.89 on January 20, 2015.
  • Barclays’ Mark Purcell has upgraded the rating on the company from Underweight to Equal Weight, while raising the price target from £44 to £50.
  • The upgrade follows a review of the company’s pipeline, as well as the two recent deals. Purcell believes that the stock offered an attractive growth outlook beyond 2017.
    
  Analyst Mark Purcell explained that the growth outlook beyond 2017 was attractive for AstraZeneca, “driven by an exciting late-stage pipeline, but we see downside risk to consensus estimates before moving into the 2017 ‘crunch year.’”
  
  Following a review of AstraZeneca’s pipeline, the revenue estimates for 2020 have been raised 20 percent, with Purcell expecting the company to deliver top line growth of 6 percent and bottom line growth of 13 percent during 2017–2023.
  
  However, Purcell stated, “Commercial risks are also high, especially in oncology, which drives 80 percent of incremental revenue growth 2015–25E.”
  
  On the other hand, there have been unexpected regulatory setback for some of the company’s pipeline candidates, along with commercial challenges for some others, which is likely to lead to downside news flow risk during 1H2016, while swinging to the upside entering 2017.
  
  Purcell also expressed optimism regarding pivotal ling cancer data for two of AstraZeneca’s pipeline candidates, which is expected to drive 40 percent incremental revenue growth during 2015–2025.

 

AstraZeneca chief chalks up milestones on his map to $45B
January 21, 2016 | By Tracy Staton


AstraZeneca CEO Pascal Soriot
AstraZeneca ($AZN) CEO Pascal Soriot summarizes his accomplishments at the U.K.-based pharma giant in two words--Lynparza and Tagrisso.

Lynparza (olaparib), the ovarian cancer drug, was the first big change Soriot made when he took over as CEO in 2012. He canceled a $285 million write-off on that drug and slotted it back into clinical trials. And, he says now, rescuing that drug from the R&D scrap heap helped prove his worth to AstraZeneca's far-flung employees.

"Our scientists were pulling their hair out because they wanted to move forward, but there was a commercial mindset that it was too small and not interesting," Soriot told the Financial Times in an interview published Thursday. After the med won FDA and EU approval, "Olaparib was really very useful culturally because it changed the mindset and people have accepted, 'yes, we follow the science.'"

Tagrisso, on the other hand, is evidence that Soriot was right to fend off Pfizer's ($PFE) $100 million-plus buyout bid. Just 18 months into his tenure as CEO, Soriot whipped up U.K. opposition to the megamerger, partly by pointing to the R&D disruptions megamergers cause.

Tagrisso is his vindication, Soriot told the FT. The EGFR-targeted lung cancer med sped its way from lab to market, and a Pfizer merger would have stopped it in its tracks, at least temporarily. "We could not have done that in a disrupted environment," Soriot says.

Tagrisso beat a rival from Clovis Oncology ($CLVS) to market, and FierceBiotech called its approval a "big win" for Soriot in making his case that his company really has turned the corner. AZ has pegged the drug at $3 billion in peak sales.

Soriot will have to wait awhile to be vindicated on another point: his goal of $45 billion in revenue within a decade. That was another of his Pfizer-fighting maneuvers in 2014. In an interview last year, Soriot admitted that AstraZeneca would have to be "lucky" to hit that target, but he's not giving up on it, either. He just doesn't want investors to be fixated on that number--or to measure his progress quarter by quarter.

In the meantime, AstraZeneca faces the loss of patent protection on its cholesterol-fighting blockbuster Crestor later this year--a big sales blow, Soriot said during last quarter's earnings call--and its "trough year," 2017, when revenue is expected to hit its nadir. But some of the deals Soriot has made recently should start paying off, and he's likely to continue restating his confidence in his big 2023 forecasts--as he also did during last quarter's earnings call. "We'll deliver on our commitments to you," Soriot said then. We'll see how he follows up when AZ unveils its latest numbers in a couple of weeks. -- Tracy Staton

 

AstraZeneca’s 4Q15 Revenue Estimates: Expect a Fall!
By Mike Benson 1 hour ago

• Why AstraZeneca Investors Should Expect a Revenue Fall in 4Q15
  
  
• A look at AstraZeneca
  
  Headquartered in London, AstraZeneca (AZN) is one of the largest pharmaceutical companies by revenue. The company’s business is spread out over the entire lifecycle of medicine from research and development to manufacturing and supply of primary care and specialty care medicines.
  
  AstraZeneca is set to release its 4Q15 and full-year 2015 earnings on February 4, 2016. Analysts estimate earnings per share (or EPS) of $0.47 for 4Q15. AstraZeneca’s stock value has increased by ~0.5% during 2015, which is lower than the returns of ~1.4% for the iShares Core S&P 500 ETF (IVV). The returns for AstraZeneca’s competitors during 2015 were ~0.6% for GlaxoSmithKline (GSK), ~1.2% for Johnson & Johnson (JNJ), and ~18.3% for Bristol-Myers Squibb (BMY).
  
  4Q15 revenue estimates
  Analysts estimate that AstraZeneca’s top line will decrease by 6.6% to $6.2 billion in 4Q15. The decrease in revenues is estimated due to declining sales of blockbuster drugs including Symbicort, Crestor, Nexium, and Seroquel XR. What can investors expect from the company’s 4Q15 earnings? We’ll discuss that in this series.
  
  Analyst recommendations
  AstraZeneca’s stock price increased by ~0.5% during 2015. Analysts estimate that the stock has the potential to return ~37% over the next 12 months. Analyst recommendations show a 12-month targeted price of $43.05 per share compared to the last price of $31.48 per share as of January 22, 2016. Also, ~14% of analysts recommend a “buy” and 71% recommend a “hold,” according to Bloomberg’s consensus. Changes in analysts’ estimates and recommendations are based on changing trends in the stock price.
  AstraZeneca’s 4Q15 revenue estimates
  Analysts estimate a decline of ~6.6% in AstraZeneca’s (AZN) 4Q15 revenues to $6.2 billion, following the declining trends in revenues for blockbuster drugs including Symbicort, Crestor, Nexium, and Seroquel XR. Analysts estimate a year-over-year decline of ~1.9% for 1Q16 and ~5.8% for 2Q16. On an annual basis, the estimates show a decline of ~6.4% for 2015 and a further decline of ~3.9% for 2016.
  
  
  The above graph shows the revenues of AstraZeneca in each quarter. The company is exposed to the impact of foreign exchange, as almost 60% of total revenues of AstraZeneca are reported from sales outside the US. The company operates in over 100 countries.
  
  Segment-wise expectations for 4Q15
  The four business segments for AstraZeneca and expectations from these segments for 4Q15 are as follows:
  
  • The cardiovascular and metabolic diseases segment is the largest revenue segment in terms of revenue with contributions of around 40% of total revenues for AstraZeneca. For 4Q15, estimates suggest lower revenues for blockbuster drug Crestor, which will be offset by growth in revenues from Brilinta.
  • The infection, neuroscience, and gastrointestinal segment is the second-largest revenue contributor for AstraZeneca. For 4Q15, this segment is estimated to remain negative due to lower performance of its drugs including Nexium, Seroquel, and Synagis. This segment contributes around 28% of total revenues for AstraZeneca.
  • The third segment is the respiratory, inflammation, and autoimmunity segment. This segment has shown strong performance in the past and is expected to account for about 20% of total revenues in 4Q15. For 4Q15, this segment is estimated to report lower sales of Symbicort and nearly flat sales for Pulmicort over 4Q14. This segment has many products under late-stage development, and the company is focused on strengthening this segment.
  • The last segment is the oncology segment. This segment contributes around 11-12% of total revenues. The segment has performed well in the past and is expected to report growth in 4Q15, following the growth of Faslodex, which is expected to be partially offset by lower sales of Zoladex.
  As per analyst estimates, AstraZeneca is expected to report a decline of ~6.6% during the fourth quarter 2015 and its competitors like Novartis (NVS) and Merck and Co. (MRK) are also expected to report declines of ~2% and ~1.7%, respectively, in their top line. Another competitor Pfizer (PFE) is expected to have ~3.6% top-line growth during 4Q15. Investors can consider ETFs like the First Trust Value Line Dividend ETF (FVD), which holds ~0.5% of its total assets in AstraZeneca.
• Cardiovascular and metabolic disease segment
  As discussed, the cardiovascular and metabolic disease (or CVMD) segment is AstraZeneca’s (AZN) largest revenue contributor. The CVMD segment contributed nearly 37.5% of AstraZeneca’s total revenues in 2014 and is estimated to contribute around ~40% of total revenues in 4Q15. CVMD comprises of key drugs including Crestor, Onglyza, and Brilinta.
  
  
  Enlarge Graph
  Crestor
  Crestor, a statin for dyslipidemia and hypercholesterolemia, is used to reduce cholesterol and triglycerides in the blood. It contributes to ~50% of revenues for this segment, and over 20% of total revenues for AstraZeneca. This drug is expected to lose its exclusivity in May 2016 in the US market, which presently contributes over 50% of total sales for this drug. After May 2016, the company expects to lose major market share to generic competitors for this drug, which may be a big negative factor to affect the revenues for AstraZeneca. Crestor’s 4Q15 revenues are estimated to decline by ~10% to $1,247 million, following changes in demand and the negative impact of foreign exchange.
  
  The competitors for Crestor are Lipitor from Pfizer (PFE), Zocor from Merck and Co. (MRK), Advicor from Abbott Laboratories (ABT), and Pravachol from Bristol-Myers Squibb (BMY).
  
  Onglyza
  Onglyza is used in diabetes to control blood sugar level. Onglyza’s 4Q15 revenues are estimated to remain flat at $200 million as compared to 4Q14 revenues given the declining demand in the US markets. The increased demand outside the US markets will be offset by the negative impact of foreign exchange.
  
  Brilinta
  Brilinta is used to prevent unwanted blood clots in heart and blood vessels. Its revenue has improved every quarter for the last two years. Brilinta’s 4Q15 revenues are estimated to increase by over 35% to $180 million as compared to 4Q14 revenues. Brilinta is expected to be another blockbuster for AstraZeneca.
  
  Apart from these products, the new products including Farxiga and Bydureon Pen are expected to have positive growth during 4Q15.
  The ING segment
  The infection, neuroscience, and gastrointestinal (or ING) segment is AstraZeneca’s (AZN) second-largest segment. This segment contributed nearly 31.4% of total revenue in 2014 while its contribution is estimated around 25% for 4Q15. Key products in this segment include Nexium and Seroquel XR.
  
  
  Enlarge Graph
  Nexium
  Nexium, a blockbuster drug from AstraZeneca, is a gastrointestinal medicine used to treat acid-related disorders. The US patents for Nexium expired in February 2015. Analysts estimate Nexium’s 4Q15 revenues to be $515 million, nearly 38% lower than 4Q14 revenues due to the patent expiry and competition.
  
  Seroquel
  Seroquel XR is a neuroscience medicine used to treat schizophrenia. Seroquel’s 4Q15 revenues are estimated at $270 million, a 13% decline over the 4Q14 revenues due to the competition from generic products mainly in European markets.
  
  Seroquel has competitors like Zyprexa from Eli Lilly and Co. (LLY), Abilify from Bristol-Myers Squibb (BMY), and Invega from Johnson & Johnson (JNJ), which are used to treat schizophrenia.
  
  New drugs
  The new drugs in this segment include Synagis and Movantik. Synagis is a drug used to prevent lung infections in infants and children. Synagis is sold majorly in the European markets. Movantik is a drug used to treat opioid-induced constipation in adults. For 4Q15, Synagis revenues are estimated at $275 million, a 32% decrease over 4Q14 revenues as a result of lower demands for the drug.
  

 

I'd say we are pretty screwed huh?

 

AstraZeneca's Lynparza Gets Breakthrough Therapy Status
By Zacks Equity Research January 29, 2016 7:00 PM

• 
  AstraZeneca plc AZN announced that the FDA has granted Breakthrough Therapy designation to its PARP inhibitor, Lynparza (olaparib), for the monotherapy treatment of BRCA1/2 or ATM gene mutated metastatic castration resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC) in patients who have received a prior taxane-based chemotherapy and at least one newer hormonal agent (Zytiga or Xtandi).
  
  We note that Breakthrough Therapy designation requires preliminary clinical evidence demonstrating that a drug may have substantial improvement over available therapy on at least one clinically significant endpoint. The status for Lynparza in this patient population means that the FDA will speed up the review of submission of data within 60 days of receipt.
  
  We are encouraged by the FDA granting Breakthrough Therapy designation to Lynparza for prostate cancer. According to the National Cancer Institute, prostate cancer is the most common cancer among men in the U.S., after skin cancer, resulting in an estimated 27,540 deaths of men in the U.S. in 2015.
  
  Per information provided by AstraZeneca in its press release, there are no approved treatments for third line and above (3L+) mCRPC patients and no targeted therapies are available for mCRPC patients with somatic or germline mutations in BRCA1, BRCA2 or ATM. Upon approval it would provide a new treatment option to patients.
  
  We note that Lynparza was approved in 2014 for the maintenance treatment of women with BRCA-mutated ovarian cancer. The drug has registered sales of $58 million in the first nine months of 2015. Label expansion would boost the drug's sales further.
  
  AstraZeneca is evaluating the potential of Lynparza in other PARP dependent tumors. Currently, phase III studies on Lynparza are ongoing for several indications like gastric cancer and pancreatic cancer among others with additional studies being planned. The company is aiming to bring six new cancer medicines to the market by 2020.
  

 

Always a bridesmaid, never a bride.....

http://seekingalpha.com/article/3862066-gsks-first-biologic-treatment-asthma-nucala-holds-multi-billion-dollar-potential

 

Always a bridesmaid...

http://seekingalpha.com/article/3862066-gsks-first-biologic-treatment-asthma-nucala-holds-multi-billion-dollar-potential

 

AstraZeneca CEO Raises Bar for Deals After Acquisitions Spree
Kristen Hallam kristen_hallam
February 4, 2016 — 7:02 AM EST

• 'We have what we need to have,' Soriot tells journalists
• Any purchase would need to be immediately accretive, CEO says

AstraZeneca Plc pledged to only pursue acquisitions that immediately add to the drugmaker’s bottom line, following a deal spree in the last quarter of 2015.

“We have what we need to have,” Chief Executive Officer Pascal Soriot told journalists Thursday in London, where the company is based. “Any additional acquisitions will have to be immediately accretive and will have to be strategically aligned with what we do. And as you can imagine, there aren’t lots of those.”

The CEO’s comments failed to immediately reassure investors, who pushed the stock down by the most since August in London trading. The company forecast today that profit and sales would decline this year as its best-selling cholesterol medicine Crestor loses market exclusivity in the U.S.

Soriot has been filling the drugmaker’s pipeline through deals and increased spending on research and development as patent expirations loom on blockbuster products including Crestor and Nexium for ulcers.

“We’re building we believe formidable franchises, in oncology in particular,” Soriot said. “If you look at oncology three years ago, we had nothing, absolutely nothing.”

AstraZeneca agreed in November to buy ZS Pharma for $2.7 billion in cash, scooping up a potential blockbuster for a deadly blood condition called hyperkalemia. A month later, the U.K.’s second-biggest drugmaker said it would buy a 55 percent stake in Acerta Pharma BV for $4 billion, gaining access to a potential blockbuster medicine for blood cancer.

The same month, AstraZeneca announced two more transactions to bolster its respiratory and biologics development, as well as expand operations in China and Japan. The company bought a respiratory business from Japan’s Takeda Pharmaceutical Co. and struck an alliance with China’s WuXi Apptec, a research and development platform, to investigate biological medicines.

Any additional deals would also have to be in line with AstraZeneca’s strategy of focusing on key disease areas:

• Respiratory, inflammation and autoimmunity
• Cardiovascular and metabolic diseases
• Cancer

To bolster its cardiovascular and metabolic disease business, AstraZeneca plans to submit additional data to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for a combination of saxagliptin and dapagliflozin for type-2 diabetes in the first half of 2016. The combination may receive regulatory approval in the European Union in the second half of the year.

Spending on research and development rose 13 percent last year, the company said in a statement today.

“We continue to invest in the long term,” Soriot said. “That is a key message.”

 

AstraZeneca Falls More Than 5% Following Q4 Print
By Jayson Derrick 1 hour ago

• 
  
  Shares of AstraZeneca plc (ADR) (NYSE: AZN) were trading lower by more than 5 percent early Thursday morning after the company reported its fourth quarter results.
  
  AstraZeneca earned $0.94 per share in the fourth quarter on revenue of $6.39 billion. Wall Street analysts were expecting the company to earn $0.88 per share on revenue of $6.27 billion.
  
  For the full fiscal year, AstraZeneca earned $4.26 per share on revenue of $24.708 billion. The company highlighted its Growth Platforms, which grew by 11 percent and represented 57 percent of total sales.
  
  However, AstraZeneca guided its revenue and earnings per share to both decline by a low to mid single-digit percentage point in 2016. The company attributed the poor outlook to the transitional period of patent expiry in the US for its top-selling cholesterol drug, Crestor.
  
  Pascal Soriot, Chief Executive Officer, commenting on the results said: "Our culture of innovation continued to drive R&D productivity, with six regulatory approvals in the year. This momentum will continue in 2016 as we anticipate six regulatory submissions and around ten major data readouts. We strengthened the strategic importance of Oncology, bringing to patients next-generation therapies such as Tagrisso in lung cancer and Lynparza in ovarian cancer, as well as a promising immuno-oncology pipeline. Alongside this organic progress, we also continued to invest in our main therapy areas through key agreements with Acerta Pharma, ZS Pharma, and Takeda."

 

AstraZeneca (AZN) has dropped 3.3% to $29.03 after getting downgraded to Hold from Buy at HSBC

 

Motley Fool's take on AZ:

Turnaround trail

Meanwhile, AstraZeneca also appears to be attractively priced at the present time. It trades on a price-to-earnings (P/E) ratio of just 15 which, given its future prospects, appears to be highly appealing.

Although AstraZeneca has struggled to come to terms with its patent losses and is expected to record a fall in its bottom line of 10% this year, it’s gradually turning its performance around. An acquisition programme has greatly strengthened its drug pipeline and with AstraZeneca’s balance sheet being strong and its cash flow being highly resilient, there’s scope for further, major acquisitions.

With a number of pharmaceutical companies trading on significantly higher valuations, AstraZeneca seems to be worthy of a P/E ratio of at least 18.7, which would represent a 25% rise from its current share price.

 

Get a life you fucking troll out of work loser ! You know nothing about the market you Mole POS

 

With you're attitude, I'm sure you won't still be working at AZ for the turnaround. By the way I think you're swell too!!

 

We are all Africans:



AstraZeneca Targets Africa Sales Boost
William Davison
February 10, 2016 — 5:00 PM EST Updated on February 11, 2016 — 7:14 AM EST

• Drugmaker seeks Africa revenue growth of almost 10% a year
• Construction about to start on manufacturing plant in Algeria

AstraZeneca Plc, the U.K.’s second-largest drugmaker, plans to increase sales in Africa by almost 10 percent a year as the company seeks to capitalize on efforts by governments to improve health-care systems and fight conditions such as high blood pressure and cholesterol.

Construction is about to start on a manufacturing plant in Algeria costing “tens of millions of dollars,” Tarek Rabah, the company’s vice-president for the Middle East and Africa, said in an interview in Ethiopia’s capital, Addis Ababa. The factory will make drugs to treat cardiovascular disease, cancer and diabetes. AstraZeneca also has a plant in Egypt that manufactures drugs to lower blood pressure and cholesterol.

“If you want to expand in Africa you need to understand this is a long-term effort,” Rabah said. “You need to be an active contributor to really strengthen the health-care system.”

Africa’s pharmaceutical industry generated sales of $20.8 billion in 2013, compared with $4.7 billion a decade earlier, McKinsey and Co. said in June. The market may be worth as much as $65 billion by 2020, according to the consultants. London-based AstraZeneca’s annual sales on the continent are less than $500 million out of a 2015 global total of $24.7 billion, Rabah said.

AstraZeneca signed an agreement on Feb. 3 with Ethiopia’s health ministry to screen for high-blood pressure after a similar initiative in Kenya started in October 2014 identified 150,000 people with the condition.

While the health-care industry focus in Africa has been on combating communicable diseases like malaria, action needs to be taken to tackle illnesses such as those caused by heart problems, Rabah said. More than 50 percent of deaths across the continent are projected to be caused by non-communicable diseases by 2030, he said.

“If the health-care system is actually developed we have an opportunity to better serve the patients,” he said.

AstraZeneca plans to conduct more clinical trials on the continent and increase the number of existing and new pharmaceuticals available to Africans, Rabah said. Growth in Africa would give a boost to the drugmaker, which forecast on Feb. 4 that total profit and sales would decline this year as its best-selling cholesterol medicine loses market exclusivity in the U.S.