Oncology revenue climbed 16% in the quarter, driven by double-digit gains across multiple cancer treatments
AstraZeneca $AZN posted first-quarter revenue of $15.29 billion and core earnings of $2.58 per share, topping analyst expectations of $14.9 billion in revenue and $2.54 in core earnings per share, according to Reuters.
Total revenue rose 13% from the same period a year earlier, the company said. Profit after tax reached $3.08 billion, up 5% from $2.92 billion in the first quarter of 2025.
The oncology division led growth, with total revenue of $6.8 billion, up 16% at constant exchange rates. Imfinzi brought in $1.69 billion, up 30% at constant rates, while Enhertu generated $831 million on an AstraZeneca-recorded basis, up 34%. Tagrisso contributed $1.83 billion, up 5%, and Calquence added $923 million, up 17%.
The rare disease unit posted total revenue of $2.42 billion, up 15% at constant rates. Ultomiris reached $1.27 billion, up 18%, while Strensiq climbed 43% to $517 million.
Not all segments performed as strongly. Revenue in the cardiovascular, renal, and metabolism division was flat in actual terms and down 6% at constant exchange rates, dragged by generic competition affecting Farxiga in Japan and the U.K. and pricing pressure in China. Brilinta revenue fell 67% at constant rates following generic entry in the U.S. and Europe in the second quarter of 2025.
AstraZeneca maintained its full-year 2026 guidance, projecting mid-to-high single-digit revenue growth and low double-digit core earnings-per-share growth, both at constant exchange rates.
According to Reuters, Soriot told investors the business is positioned to meet its 2030 goals, noting that spending on commercial infrastructure and a pipeline of new drug launches are expected to cushion the impact of patent expirations and price headwinds. Among the drugs the company hopes to bring to market in 2026, pending U.S. regulatory clearance, are baxdrostat, aimed at treating high blood pressure, and camizestrant, which targets a form of breast cancer — part of a broader push toward more than 20 launches before the decade ends.
Early trading saw AstraZeneca shares lose roughly 1% of their value, a move that coincided with a 0.6% decline in the broader FTSE 100 index.
