(Reuters) – AstraZeneca said on Friday it expects sales growth of more than 20% for the year, driven by a rise in prescriptions for its preventive treatment Evusheld against COVID-19, after its second-quarter results exceeded analysts’ expectations.
The laboratory anticipates a turnover for the whole of the year in the low range of 20% against the high range of 10% previously, while maintaining its profit forecasts unchanged.
Earnings per share were $1.72 (€1.68) for the quarter ended June 30, on revenue of approximately €10.55 billion.
Analysts on average had expected earnings of $1.56 per share on revenue of around 10.3 billion euros, according to Refinitiv data.
AstraZeneca has also announced that Michel Demaré will replace Leif Johansson as chairman of the board after his retirement next year. Michel Demaré is currently chairman of the compensation committee of AstraZeneca.
Leif Johansson became chairman in 2012, around the same time that Frenchman Pascal Soriot took over as CEO.
(Reporting Natalie Grover in London; French version Charlotte Lavin, editing by Kate Entringer)
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