AbbVie has posted a net loss for the fourth quarter, hit by charges connected to the termination of its proposed $55 billion acquisition of Shire, but sales of its anti-inflammatory blockbuster Humira continued to rise.
The company’s loss came in at $810 million, compared to net profit of $1.13 billion in the like, year-earlier period, hit by having to pay a $1.64 billion break-up fee to Shire. Revenues rose 6.7% to $5.45 billion.
A sizeable chunk of that came from Humira (adalimumab), which is approved for indications covering rheumatoid arthritis, Crohn’s disease and psoriasis; the world’s best-selling drug contributed $3.36 billion, a rise of 10.6%.
AbbVie’s AndroGel testosterone replacement therapy fell 20.2% to $230 million, while the HIV drug Kaletra (lopinavir/ritonavir) decreased 11.1% to $203 million. The respiratory treatment Synagis (palivizumab), the AstraZeneca drug sold by AbbVie outside the USA, were down 5% to $298 million and the prostate cancer drug Lupron (leuprolide) inched down 1.1% to $207 million. The hypothyroid medication Synthroid (levothyroxine) was down 1.6% to $186 million.
Key to AbbVie’s future prospects is its all-oral, interferon-free hepatitis C regimen Viekira Pak (ombitasvir/paritaprevir/ritonavir). Approved in December, the treatment brought in $48 million, a figure which will rise hugely this year.
Chief executive Richard Gonzalez said AbbVie delivered “exceptional performance in 2014 with sales and earnings well above our original projections for the year”. He added that “we returned to growth in 2014, a year ahead of schedule, and we expect to continue building on that momentum in 2015”.
