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REUTERS/Brendan McDermid/File Photo/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsAug 25 (Reuters) - AstraZeneca (AZN.L) said on Friday it has sued the U.S. government to block parts of a program that gives the Medicare health insurance plan the power to negotiate lower drug prices. The program faces at least seven other court challenges, including from leading industry group PhRMA and drugmakers Johnson & Johnson (JNJ.N), Merck & Co (MRK.N), Bristol Myers Squibb (BMY.N) and privately-held Boehringer Ingelheim. The drug price negotiation program is part of President Joe Biden's signature Inflation Reduction Act (IRA). ‍AstraZeneca said the program would deter continued development of treatments such as its cancer drug Lynparza and rare blood disorder drug Soliris, which carry orphan drug status for multiple conditions. An HHS spokesperson said in a statement that the agency "will vigorously defend the President's drug price negotiation law, which is already helping to lower healthcare costs for seniors and people with disabilities."

Persons: Brendan McDermid, drugmakers Johnson, Johnson, Joe Biden's, AstraZeneca, Bhanvi, Dhanya Ann Thoppil, Shilpi Majumdar Organizations: AstraZeneca, New York Stock Exchange, REUTERS, U.S, Merck & Co, Bristol Myers Squibb, U.S . Department of Health, Human Services, Thomson Locations: British, Delaware, United States, U.S, Bengaluru

☆ Novartis to buy Chinook for up to $3.5 bln in boost to late-stage pipeline
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-12 | by ( Ludwig Burger | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

June 12 (Reuters) - Novartis (NOVN.S) has agreed to acquire Seattle-based biotech firm Chinook Therapeutics (KDNY.O) for up to $3.5 billion to boost its late-stage drug development line-up with a new treatment for a rare severe kidney disease. Chinook is also working on zigakibart, another experimental IgAN treatment that is injected, and plans to start a Phase 3 trial in the third quarter of 2023. IgAN is a progressive autoimmune disease that mostly affects young adults and which can lead to dialysis or kidney transplantation. IgAN is the most common cause of kidney failure in Caucasian young adults, the company added. Additional reporting by Miranda Murray; Editing by Kim Coghill and Sonali PaulOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Swiss drugmaker, Vas Narasimhan, atrasentan, Narasimhan, Kisqali, Soliris, Miranda Murray, Kim Coghill, Sonali Paul Organizations: Novartis, Seattle, Chinook Therapeutics, Chinook, Swiss pharma, Sandoz, Thomson Locations: Swiss, IgAN, United States

LONDON, April 27 (Reuters) - AstraZeneca (AZN.L) on Thursday beat expectations for its first -quarter profit and revenue, helped by sales of its roster of drugs in emerging markets. The London-listed drugmaker, which reports its results in U.S. dollars, reported adjusted profit of $1.92 per share on sales of about $10.9 billion. Excluding sales of its COVID-19 products, sales grew 22% to $3.1 billion in emerging markets on a constant currency basis. AstraZeneca's best-selling cancer drugs — Tagrisso, Imfinzi and Lynparza — generated $1.4 billion, $900 million and $651 million of sales, respectively, in the quarter. Cowen analysts expected the three drugs to bring in about $1.45 billion, $735 million and $700 million respectively, in quarterly sales.

☆ Novartis buoyed by trial success in early-stage breast cancer
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-27 | by ( Ludwig Burger | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

The Swiss firm's shares jumped 5.8% on Monday to a four-week high by 0734 GMT, after it said a panel of independent supervisors recommended stopping the trial early because an interim analysis had shown a clear benefit. Kisqali has been approved to treat hormone-driven breast cancer that has spread to other body parts, where it has taken market share from Pfizer's (PFE.N) Ibrance. Rival drug Verzenio by Eli Lilly (LLY.N) has approval in the early setting for women at high risk of recurrence after surgery. Kisqali, which saw sales gain 31% to $1.2 billion last year, is one of two new drugs with a particularly important role for the group's future sales growth. Detailed trial results will be presented at a medical conference, Novartis said, without identifying the meeting or its timing.

The company also predicted a return to growth in China, one of its key markets, after reporting a second consecutive quarter of growth even as prices remain under pressure. Sales of its best-selling cancer drugs — Tagrisso, Imfinzi and Lynparza — came in just below estimates from Cowen analysts. Sales started to pick up in the second half of 2022 and in the fourth quarter grew by 3% at constant currency rates. Of key interest to investors is the experimental cancer drug, datopotamab deruxtecan, being evaluated in a keenly anticipated late-stage trial involving lung cancer patients. Partner Daiichi Sankyo (4568.T) this month said results of that study have been delayed to the second quarter from the first quarter of 2023.

☆ AstraZeneca Q4 revenue just shy of analyst estimates
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-09 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Companies AstraZeneca PLC FollowLONDON, Feb 9 (Reuters) - AstraZeneca (AZN.L) on Thursday posted fourth-quarter revenue just shy of analyst estimates, with slightly lower-than-expected sales of its best-selling oncology and rare blood disorder drugs. The London-listed drugmaker, which reports its results in U.S. dollars, reported an adjusted profit of 1.38 cents per share on sales of about $11.2 billion. Analysts were expecting $1.34 per share on sales of about $11.3 billion, according to company-compiled consensus estimates. Sales of AstraZeneca's best-selling cancer drugs — Tagrisso, Imfinzi and Lynparza — generated $1.34 billion, $752 million, $689 million in the quarter respectively. Cowen analysts expected the three drugs to bring in about $1.4 billion, $760 million and $695 million respectively.

☆ Novartis says operating profit to grow again ahead of Sandoz spin-off
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-01 | by ( Ludwig Burger | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Full-year core operating income was broadly flat at $16.7 billion, it said in a statement, coming in slightly below market expectations of $16.8 billion. Novartis shares were down 1.3% in early trade on Wednesday and have fallen about 11% since January 2020, underperforming most rivals. They were also disappointed by guidance for Sandoz's core operating income to decline by a "low double digit" percentage in 2023 due to cost inflation and investments to make it a stand-alone entity. MS drug Kesimpta, which requires fewer injections than standard therapies, is expected to become Novartis' second largest growth driver in 2023, after Entresto. Novartis shares lagReporting by Ludwig Burger; editing by Josephine Mason and Jason NeelyOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Novartis says operating profit to grow again ahead of Sandoz spin off
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-01 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Novartis on Wednesday predicted that core operating income would grow in a "mid single digit" percentage range in 2023 following stagnation last year, as the Swiss drugmaker prepares to spin off its Sandoz generics business. Full-year core operating income was broadly flat at $16.7 billion, it said in a statement, coming in slightly below market expectations of $16.8 billion. We're seeing health care systems stabilize a bit more, we're seeing China start to stabilize, and we see a second-half rebound in China. All of those are important tailwinds for a business like ours," he said during an interview in Basel, Switzerland. MS drug Kesimpta, requiring fewer injections than standard therapies, is expected to become Novartis' second largest growth driver in 2023, after Entresto.

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