Feb 4 (Reuters) - AbbVie forecast 2026 profit above Wall Street estimates on Wednesday after posting a fourth-quarter results beat, fueled by strong demand for newer immunology drugs Skyrizi and Rinvoq and a smaller-than-expected decline in sales of its older medicine Humira.
The drugmaker has been relying on Skyrizi and Rinvoq to counter a drop in Humira sales, which have been facing competition from cheaper biosimilars, or near copies of a biological drug. Humira was once the world's top-selling
drug, with peak global sales of more than $21 billion in 2022 before it lost patent exclusivity in the U.S.
Since then, the company has also spent more than $20 billion on acquisitions, and plans to spend another $10 billion over the next decade, including building four new manufacturing plants in the U.S.
AbbVie expects adjusted annual profit per share of between $14.37 and $14.57, higher than analysts' average estimate of $14.24, according to data compiled by LSEG.
It also posted better-than-expected fourth-quarter profit and revenue on Skyrizi and Rinvoq demand, and a surprise beat for Humira for the first time in nearly two years.
Skyrizi recorded sales of $5.01 billion, growing 32.5%, and beating Wall Street estimates of $4.82 billion, and while Rinvoq sales grew 29.5% to $2.37 billion they missed estimates of $2.41 billion.
Global sales of Humira fell 25.9% to $1.25 billion in the fourth quarter, but beat estimates of $983.8 million.
Sales of Botox for cosmetic use grew for the first time since the third quarter of 2024, coming in at $717 million and ahead of estimates of $696.2 million. Demand for the anti-wrinkle injection has been weighed down by customer concerns about the economy and inflation, as well as competition from newer products from companies such as Revance and Evolus.
The company earned an adjusted quarterly profit of $2.71 per share, beating analysts' average estimate of $2.65 per share.
(Reporting by Puyaan Singh and Christy Santhosh in Bengaluru; Editing by Leroy Leo)
