By Ludwig Burger
FRANKFURT (Reuters) -Novartis on Tuesday issued a more optimistic full-year earnings guidance, citing strong growth of drugs such as Leqvio, Kisqali and Kesimpta during the first quarter.
The Swiss drugmaker said in a statement that it expects 2025 operating income, adjusted for special items, to grow by a “low double-digit” percentage.
It had previously projected “high single to low double-digit” growth, compared with a 22% increase in 2024.
First-quarter net income, adjusted for special items, rose 22% to $4.48 billion, surpassing an analyst consensus of about $4.2 billion.
Among products that beat market expectations, breast-cancer drug Kisqali saw quarterly revenues jump 52% to $956 million while sales of cholesterol lowering drug Leqvio surged 70% to $257 million, gaining momentum after a slow launch.
Novartis said this month it plans to spend $23 billion to build and expand 10 facilities in the U.S., as it grapples with renewed threats of drug import duties from the Trump administration.
(Reporting by Ludwig Burger, editing by Thomas Seythal and Friederike Heine)
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