It also expects total revenue to increase by a mid single-digit percentage, compared with low-to-mid single-digit growth previously. For the third consecutive quarter, strong sales of AstraZeneca's blockbuster cancer treatments and healthy demand for its drugs in emerging markets offset the loss of sales of its COVID-19 vaccine and therapy. The results add to a string of strong quarters for Britain's biggest company by market capitalisation - worth 159 billion pounds ($195 billion) - bolstered by a strong pipeline of drugs. It said that in the first nine months of 2023, nine medicines delivered more than $1 billion in revenue. Excluding sales of its COVID-19 products, third-quarter sales rose 12% to $2.96 billion in emerging markets on a constant currency basis.

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Persons: Phil Noble, China's, Maggie Fick, Eva Mathews, Nivedita Bhattacharjee, Mark Potter Organizations: AstraZeneca, REUTERS, Britain's, Thomson Locations: Macclesfield, England, China, London, Swedish, Bengaluru