Pharmaceutical giant AbbVie, which has operations in Worcester, has boosted its earnings estimates for 2015 by 30 percent amid rising sales for its arthritis drug Humira and the launch of its treatment for hepatitis C, the company announced late last week.
AbbVie, based in North Chicago, Ill., projects earnings per share in the range of $4.25 to $4.45 ($3.99 to $4.19 under Generally Accepted Accounting Principles, or GAAP). The company said it foresees strong growth for Humira, which treats rheumatoid arthritis and Crohn’s Disease, among other ailments, along with the launch of its Viekira regimen to treat patients with the liver disease Hepatitis C.
“AbbVie has delivered strong performance in our first two years as an independent company and we expect to continue building on that momentum in 2015 with a return to top-tier growth,” Chairman and CEO Richard A. Gonzalez said in a statement. “In addition to generating strong financial results, our priorities this year include strong commercial and operational execution as well as advancement of our promising pipeline.”
AbbVie has research-and-development operations in Worcester. The company said it will release its fourth-quarter 2014 financial results, along with a more detailed outlook for 2015, on Jan. 30.
