BIG PHARMA EARNINGS WATCH: ASTRAZENECA & GSK

Brand Name Drug Companies Book Blockbuster Profits Following Price Hikes, Tout Anti-Competitive Strategies That Keep Drug Prices High

This week, pharmaceutical companies AstraZeneca and GSK reported second quarter earnings that topped Wall Street analysts’ expectations after hiking prices on dozens of brand name drugs to start the year.

During GSK’s earnings call, an analyst posed a question about the company’s patent strategy around its blockbuster HIV drug Cabenuva, which was first approved by the U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA) in 2021. In response, one of GSK’s executives touted that the company has the potential ability to block competition for up to 20 more years. “For Cabenuva that’s in the market today we’ve got additional protection now granted through to 2040 for that asset. We’ve got three times yearly treatment. Again, we’ve got additional protection pending through to 2047. When we come into six yearly prevention, we actually have the patent granted to 2031. We don’t have additional coverage for that asset. Three times yearly prevention, we’ve now got secondary patents pending, which takes us out to 2045.”

GSK’s comments exemplify the pharmaceutical industry’s continued focus on patent manipulation and blocking competition versus investing in actual innovation.

Get a full recap of AstraZeneca and GSK’s strong second quarter earnings below.

AstraZeneca

• AstraZeneca beat Wall Street analysts’ expectations for the second quarter.
• In the second quarter, the company reported $15.39 billion in revenue.
• The drugmaker reported they are targeting $80 billion in annual sales by 2030.  
• AstraZeneca’s second quarter net profit rose to $2.51 billion, up from $2.45 billion last year.

GSK

• GSK reported second quarter earnings that surpassed Wall Street analysts’ expectations.
• The company’s specialty medicines division led the top-line performance, with sales of $5.05 billion.
• In the second quarter, GSK reported $11.1 billion in revenue.
• Sales of the company’s blockbuster HIV treatment Cabenuva increased 33 percent.

The companies’ better-than-expected earnings come as they have continued to increase prices across their portfolios

AstraZeneca

• So far this year, AstraZeneca has increased the price of 13 prescription drugs.
• AstraZeneca hiked prices on 22 prescription drugs in 2025, including diabetes drug Farxiga by three percent and Lokelma by five percent.
• AstraZeneca increased prices on 19 prescription drugs in 2024, including oncology drugs Tagrisso and Lynparza by three percent each.
• AstraZeneca hiked prices on at least 21 prescription drugs in 2023, including best-selling oncology drugs Tagrisso by three percent and Lynparza by 6.8 percent.

GSK

• So far this year, GSK has hiked the price of 30 prescription drugs by an average of 3.7 percent.
• Last year, GSK raised prices on 37 drugs, including an 8.9 percent increase on its Shingrix vaccine.
• In 2024, GSK hiked prices on more than 29 prescription drugs, including its blockbuster Shingrix vaccine product by 7.9 percent and asthma drug Trelegy by three percent.
• In 2023, GSK hiked prices on more than 39 drugs, and in 2022, it increased prices on more than 40 drugs.

Stay tuned as we continue to monitor second quarter earnings calls from brand name drug companies in the coming weeks.

Read more on second quarter earnings from Novartis and Roche HERE.

Read more on second quarter earnings from Johnson & Johnson HERE.

Learn more about solutions to lower prescription drug prices and hold Big Pharma accountable HERE.