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AbbVie misses quarterly sales estimates as Humira rivals bite -Breaking

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© Reuters. FILE PHOTO – A woman stands with a tube of test in front the Abbvie logo. This illustration was taken May 21, 2021. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration/File Photo

(Reuters) – AbbVie Inc (NYSE): Friday’s Wall Street sales estimates missed the mark for first quarter. This was due to European competition from Humira, its blockbuster drug for rheumatoid joint disease; and lower revenue for Rinvoq.

Humira sales fell to $4.74 Billion in the first quarter. This is below the $4.91 Billion estimate. It faces stiff competition from biosimilar drugs in Europe. When the drug loses its patent protection, it will be up for sale in America next year.

AbbVie hopes that the peak sales of Rinvoq, its other drug for rheumatoid arthritis and Skyrizi to treat plaque psoriasis will surpass that of Humira. The company is working hard to get expanded approvals of both of these drugs.

The quarter ended March 31 saw Rinvoq sales rise 53.6% to $465 millions, but they fell short of estimates at $500.6 million. Skyrizi sales exceeded estimates by $24 Million, however.

AbbVie purchased Botox maker Allergan for $63 billion (NYSE:) last year. The move was made to diversify its portfolio before Humira loses exclusivity in 2023.

Botox cosmetic sales rose 34.4%, to $641 Million. This is well above the $569.88million estimate.

Refinitiv IBES estimated $13.61 billion in net revenues, however $13.54 billion was more than AbbVie’s target of $13.50 million.

AbbVie has lowered its projected adjusted earnings per share to $13.92 to $14.12 from its earlier estimate of $14.00 and $14.20. This was due to a decrease in upfront and milestone costs, which were now included as part of its new regulatory guidance.

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