AstraZeneca delivered exceptional financial and clinical results in 2024, marking a significant milestone in its growth trajectory with total revenue soaring to $54.07 billion. The pharmaceutical giant reported a 21% increase in total revenue and a 19% rise in core earnings per share, demonstrating robust performance across its therapeutic portfolio.
Strong Growth Across Therapeutic Areas
The company's success was broadly distributed across its key therapeutic segments. Oncology led the growth with a 24% increase, while Respiratory & Immunology (R&I) showed remarkable progress with 25% growth. Cardiovascular, Renal and Metabolism (CVRM) grew by 20%, and Rare Disease operations expanded by 16%. Vaccines and Immune therapies (V&I) contributed with an 8% increase.
Clinical Development Success
2024 proved to be a pivotal year for AstraZeneca's clinical development program, with nine positive high-value Phase III study results. Notable achievements included positive outcomes for Truqap in combination with abiraterone and androgen deprivation therapy for PTEN-deficient de novo metastatic hormone-sensitive prostate cancer, and promising results for Tagrisso in early-stage EGFRm NSCLC.
Financial Performance and Shareholder Returns
The company's strong performance translated into tangible shareholder value, with core earnings per share reaching $8.21. AstraZeneca declared a second interim dividend of $2.10 per share, bringing the total annual dividend for 2024 to $3.10 per share, representing a 7% increase. The company has committed to further dividend increases in 2025.
Strategic Outlook and Future Pipeline
"This year marks the beginning of an unprecedented, catalyst-rich period for our company," stated Pascal Soriot, Chief Executive Officer of AstraZeneca. The company is positioning itself for sustained growth, with plans to release Phase III data for seven new medicines in 2025, alongside several indication expansion opportunities for existing treatments.
2025 Growth Projections
Looking ahead, AstraZeneca has provided optimistic guidance for 2025, projecting high single-digit percentage growth in total revenue and low double-digit percentage increase in core earnings per share at constant exchange rates. These projections align with the company's ambitious Ambition 2030 goal of achieving $80 billion in total revenue by the end of the decade.
The company is also advancing its investment in transformative technologies, with multiple candidates now entering pivotal trials, positioning AstraZeneca for potential growth beyond 2030.
