Berliner Boersenzeitung - Astra warns on falling Covid treatment sales after record year

EUR -
AED 3.824403
AFN 72.783669
ALL 98.225528
AMD 409.464261
ANG 1.86853
AOA 955.849322
ARS 1064.387711
AUD 1.664145
AWG 1.874215
AZN 1.769528
BAM 1.951341
BBD 2.093416
BDT 123.896861
BGN 1.952286
BHD 0.392649
BIF 3065.294954
BMD 1.041231
BND 1.408082
BOB 7.164627
BRL 6.332664
BSD 1.036831
BTN 88.144565
BWP 14.330251
BYN 3.393046
BYR 20408.117808
BZD 2.084137
CAD 1.497322
CDF 2988.331476
CHF 0.932314
CLF 0.037326
CLP 1029.933253
CNY 7.600257
CNH 7.607949
COP 4571.001897
CRC 523.104561
CUC 1.041231
CUP 27.592608
CVE 110.014643
CZK 25.124215
DJF 184.628074
DKK 7.457658
DOP 63.135717
DZD 140.371386
EGP 53.084848
ERN 15.618458
ETB 129.24454
FJD 2.41152
FKP 0.824636
GBP 0.82807
GEL 2.926165
GGP 0.824636
GHS 15.24117
GIP 0.824636
GMD 74.968838
GNF 8957.529568
GTQ 7.988744
GYD 216.914291
HKD 8.091022
HNL 26.318854
HRK 7.468649
HTG 135.640025
HUF 414.44462
IDR 16858.094479
ILS 3.784951
IMP 0.824636
INR 88.601952
IQD 1358.196146
IRR 43822.821093
ISK 145.095638
JEP 0.824636
JMD 162.219284
JOD 0.738439
JPY 163.034814
KES 134.683497
KGS 90.587188
KHR 4166.478445
KMF 485.34358
KPW 937.106868
KRW 1512.007243
KWD 0.320761
KYD 0.864025
KZT 544.505654
LAK 22693.139901
LBP 92844.823907
LKR 304.404352
LRD 188.179957
LSL 19.088078
LTL 3.074483
LVL 0.62983
LYD 5.094358
MAD 10.434853
MDL 19.097357
MGA 4891.820837
MKD 61.496935
MMK 3381.876049
MNT 3538.101105
MOP 8.300232
MRU 41.233769
MUR 48.781555
MVR 16.046221
MWK 1797.378204
MXN 20.905883
MYR 4.674608
MZN 66.538512
NAD 19.088078
NGN 1610.210968
NIO 38.15281
NOK 11.77626
NPR 141.031704
NZD 1.841224
OMR 0.400872
PAB 1.036831
PEN 3.860777
PGK 4.204392
PHP 60.972335
PKR 288.591389
PLN 4.256512
PYG 8084.524626
QAR 3.779662
RON 4.975999
RSD 116.979118
RUB 105.531204
RWF 1445.297097
SAR 3.912738
SBD 8.729213
SCR 14.520152
SDG 626.296741
SEK 11.493389
SGD 1.411039
SHP 0.824636
SLE 23.794301
SLL 21834.086132
SOS 592.545869
SRD 36.579493
STD 21551.369123
SVC 9.072267
SYP 2616.123123
SZL 19.083389
THB 35.54656
TJS 11.342479
TMT 3.654719
TND 3.30375
TOP 2.438663
TRY 36.671935
TTD 7.036919
TWD 34.038856
TZS 2498.953516
UAH 43.482929
UGX 3803.308389
USD 1.041231
UYU 46.244319
UZS 13367.451677
VES 53.598498
VND 26496.713159
VUV 123.61697
WST 2.876699
XAF 654.461375
XAG 0.035009
XAU 0.000396
XCD 2.813977
XDR 0.790893
XOF 654.461375
XPF 119.331742
YER 260.698065
ZAR 19.131335
ZMK 9372.319369
ZMW 28.693428
ZWL 335.275796
  • CMSC

    0.0200

    23.86

    +0.08%

  • SCS

    -0.5800

    11.74

    -4.94%

  • BCC

    -0.2600

    122.75

    -0.21%

  • CMSD

    0.0000

    23.56

    0%

  • JRI

    0.1100

    12.06

    +0.91%

  • BCE

    0.0500

    23.16

    +0.22%

  • RIO

    -0.0900

    58.64

    -0.15%

  • GSK

    0.1700

    33.6

    +0.51%

  • NGG

    0.8200

    58.5

    +1.4%

  • RBGPF

    59.9600

    59.96

    +100%

  • BTI

    0.1131

    36.24

    +0.31%

  • AZN

    0.9100

    65.35

    +1.39%

  • BP

    0.1900

    28.6

    +0.66%

  • RYCEF

    -0.0100

    7.27

    -0.14%

  • RELX

    -0.3100

    45.47

    -0.68%

  • VOD

    0.0100

    8.39

    +0.12%

Astra warns on falling Covid treatment sales after record year
Astra warns on falling Covid treatment sales after record year

Astra warns on falling Covid treatment sales after record year

British Covid vaccine maker AstraZeneca on Thursday warned that coronavirus product sales and profit margins would drop this year as the pandemic recedes and after record-high group revenue in 2021.

Text size:

AstraZeneca rapidly developed a successful Covid-19 jab during the pandemic that generated full-year sales of almost $4.0 billion (3.5 billion euros) last year, the company said in a results statement.

After initially offering the vaccine at cost, Astra decided in November to begin selling Vaxzevria -- developed alongside University of Oxford -- for profit.

- Covid revenue decline -

Revenue from Covid-19 medicines is set to decline by up to a quarter, AstraZeneca said Thursday.

But total group revenues would increase this year by a "high-teens percentage" thanks in part to sales of antibody treatment Evusheld.

The drug is for high-risk people who show resistance to vaccines against coronavirus.

Astra on Thursday added that its net profit tumbled last year, hit by costs arising from the vast takeover of US biotech firm Alexion.

Profit after tax slumped to $112 million (98 million euros) from $3.2 billion in 2020.

Revenues soared 41 percent to $37.4 billion.

"2021 was an exceptional year for AstraZeneca in terms of revenue, which exceeded $37 billion and was the highest in the company's history," noted chief executive Pascal Soriot.

"This put us well on track to deliver our promise of annual revenue of $40 billion one year ahead of schedule."

He added that AstraZeneca's "rapidly improving financial position" had allowed it to raise its annual dividend payment the first time in a decade.

Soriot said the company last year delivered on its "promise of broad and equitable access" to its Covid-19 vaccine" with 2.5 billion doses released for supply around the world".

At the same time, the group faced vast costs following its $39-billion takeover of Alexion, while large impairment and restructuring charges also weighed.

Astra swung into a pre-tax annual loss of $265 million, after a $3.9-billion profit last time around.

But its share price was up 2.1 percent in London trading Thursday.

"The Covid vaccine has raised Astra's global profile significantly," said Hargreaves Lansdown analyst Keith Bowman.

"For now, and with further innovation and new drug successes ongoing, analyst consensus opinion continues to point to a strong buy" of its shares.

Since taking the helm at AstraZeneca in 2012, Soriot has pushed the company into lucrative treatments such as cancer therapies, and the Alexion takeover gives it more heft in areas such as treating blood disorders.

As for its Covid vaccine, "time spent developing and distributing (the jab)... has been time away from its core business", Bowman added.

"The purchase of Alexion at what is considered a full price is also yet to be fully justified."

Astra's EU's Covid vaccination roll-out was extremely sluggish initially because of a big shortfall in the amount of doses the company had promised the bloc, sparking a row between the parties.

The European Union has since pivoted towards mRNA vaccines, particularly the one produced by US drugs giant Pfizer in partnership with German peer BioNTech, after rare blood-clot problems with AstraZeneca increased public hesitancy about taking it.

(P.Werner--BBZ)