AbbVie is lifting its profit outlook and full-year 2024 guidance as its immunology blockbusters Skyrizi and Rinvoq beat quarterly revenue estimates, according to the company’s
third-quarter filing
.
Global Skyrizi net revenues were $3.2 billion, an increase of about 50% from last year, while Rinvoq net revenues were $1.6 billion, an increase of about 45%. Thanks to the two blockbusters, AbbVie is raising its adjusted diluted EPS guidance for the year from between $10.67 and $10.87 to between $10.90 and $10.94, despite dipping sales of its once top-selling Humira. Global Humira net revenues for the quarter were $2.2 billion, a decrease of about 37% year-over-year.
William Blair analysts wrote in a Wednesday note that Rinvoq and Skyrizi made up for Humira’s shortfall, with the two drugs beating their estimate by $185 million. AbbVie’s quarterly revenue of $14.4 billion also came in above the company’s previous guidance, consensus and the analysts’ estimate of $14.2 billion, which Blair analysts said was mainly driven by Rinvoq and Skyrizi.
The trends seen in this latest filing are a “net positive, and we’re seeing overperformance from Skyrizi and Rinvoq more than offsetting the dynamics with Humira,” AbbVie CEO Rob Michael said in a Wednesday morning investor call.
“We are starting to see this dynamic with the overall Humira molecule, where there is the switching that we’re seeing now to other mechanisms, including Skyrizi and Rinvoq, which is a long-term, very positive benefit,” Michael added. “Essentially two years after the US Humira [loss of exclusivity], we’ll be returning to robust top-line and bottom-line growth and really performance across many parts of the business, not just Skyrizi and Rinvoq.”
The 15 deals the company has executed this year in its five key growth areas (eye care, immunology, oncology, neuroscience and aesthetics) are part of that return to growth, including a
licensing deal
with FutureGen Biopharmaceutical for an anti-TL1A antibody in inflammatory bowel disease and
the acquisition
of early-stage neuroscience biotech Aliada Therapeutics for $1.4 billion.
Michael said in the investor call that the company would “focus more on early-stage opportunities to drive growth in the next decade.”
“If we see an opportunity for differentiation in a large market with high unmet need like metabolics, we would consider pursuing it, especially if it can help drive growth in the next decade,” Michael said. “But again, it would be more opportunistic. We have to see differentiation, and right now it’s not our primary focus.”