Stakes High for AstraZeneca Heart Drug Facing Tough Competition
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If AstraZeneca Plc hopes to fend off another takeover attempt, it needs heart drug Brilinta to become a blockbuster. It has to overcome tough competition to get there.
The second-largest U.K. drugmaker yesterday announced promising results for a trial of the anti-clotting pill, indicating that more patients could benefit from Brilinta, which has been a disappointment in the U.S. since its 2011 debut. AstraZeneca sold $283 million of the pill in 2013, yet has told investors that it can reach $3.5 billion in revenue by 2023.