AstraZeneca (LSE:AZN) on Friday reported total revenue of $46.88 billion for the first nine months of 2026, up 7% at constant exchange rates against the same period last year.
The London-listed pharmaceutical company, which develops and sells prescription medicines across oncology, cardiovascular, respiratory and rare disease therapy areas, said core earnings per share rose 14% at constant exchange rates to $8.00 over the nine months, outpacing revenue growth.
In the third quarter alone, total revenue reached $16.21 billion, up 7% at constant exchange rates, while reported EPS climbed 26% at constant exchange rates to $2.02 and core EPS rose 19% to $2.79.
Oncology remained the standout performer, with nine-month revenue up 16% at constant exchange rates to $21.89 billion, now accounting for 47% of total revenue; Enhertu sales jumped 33% to $2.69 billion and Imfinzi rose 27% to $5.54 billion.
Respiratory & Immunology revenue grew 10% at constant exchange rates to $7.27 billion over nine months, with Tezspire sales up 44% to $1.12 billion, while Rare Disease revenue rose 11% to $7.54 billion, driven by a 37% increase in Strensiq to $1.64 billion.
Those gains offset declines in Cardiovascular, Renal & Metabolism, where nine-month revenue fell 14% at constant exchange rates to $8.73 billion as Farxiga sales dropped 15% to $5.60 billion following loss of exclusivity, and Brilinta sales fell 62% to $261 million.
Chief executive Pascal Soriot said the first nine months saw "strong commercial momentum with total revenue up 7% and Core EPS up 14%, driven by our diverse therapy areas and global presence," adding that the company reported 12 positive Phase III programme readouts in the year to date with collective peak year revenue potential "well in excess of ten billion dollars."
AstraZeneca reconfirmed its full-year 2026 guidance at constant exchange rates: total revenue is expected to increase by a mid-to-high single-digit percentage, and core EPS by a low double-digit percentage, with a core tax rate of between 18% and 22%.
The company said 47 approvals had been secured across major regions since its fourth-quarter 2025 results, including first approvals for four new medicines: Etcamah, Baxfendy, Klygefa and Amlypave.
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In October, AstraZeneca completed a $2 billion equity investment in Summit Therapeutics, giving it rights equivalent to approximately 12.0% of Summit's outstanding common stock, alongside a clinical collaboration to evaluate its cancer drug sonesitatug vedotin in combination with Summit's bispecific antibody ivonescimab.
The company also opened a new global strategic R&D centre in Kendall Square, Cambridge, Massachusetts, during October, which it said will house nearly 2,000 researchers and scientists.
AstraZeneca has initiated a "Reshaping for Sustainable Growth" programme intended to redeploy resources over the next three years, expected to cost up to $2.0 billion in one-time restructuring charges while delivering $1.5 billion in annualised pre-tax run-rate benefits, with the programme expected to be essentially complete by the end of 2029.
The company intends to publish its full-year and fourth-quarter 2026 results on 9 February 2027.