Strong Top-Line Growth
Full-year sales up 7% to >£32 billion (FY2025). 2026 headline guidance: sales growth 3%–5% at constant exchange rates.
Specialty Medicines Momentum
Specialty medicines sales up 17% in 2025; company expects specialty to deliver low double-digit growth in 2026.
Profitability and EPS Expansion
Core operating profit grew 11% and core EPS rose 12% in 2025. Guidance for 2026 calls for core operating profit and core EPS growth of 7%–9%.
Strong Cash Generation and Balance Sheet
Cash generated from operations £8.9bn in 2025 (and >£10bn excluding Zantac); free cash flow £4.0bn (or >£5.0bn excluding Zantac). Net debt/EBITDA stable at ~1.3x.
Shareholder Returns Increased
Dividend upgraded by 2p to 66p declared for FY2025; guidance includes a 70p dividend for 2026 (6% increase). Share buyback: 93 million shares repurchased (avg price 1473) with ~£0.6bn remaining.
R&D Output and Pipeline Progress
Five FDA approvals and seven new pivotal trial starts in 2025. Ten pivotal starts planned for 2026 (including >5 ADC starts, 2 advanced MASH, and QUATRO Q4M HIV trial).
Notable Product & Category Growth
Respiratory Immunology and Inflammation up 18%; Benlysta +22%; Nucala +15 (Nucala delivered $2bn in 2025 and achieved 10th consecutive year of double-digit growth). Oncology sales up 43% with Jemperli +89% and Ojjaara +60%.
HIV Franchise Momentum
HIV sales +11% in 2025. Cabenuva grew 42% and now accounts for >75% market share in the U.S. this quarter; long-acting injectables drove >75% of HIV growth and represent ~1/3 of U.S. sales. 2026 HIV guidance: mid- to high-single-digit growth.
Vaccines Performance
Vaccines sales £9.2bn (+2%); Shingrix £3.6bn (+8%); Bexsero up 16% driven by Europe and international programs. 2026 expectation: Shingrix performance supported ex-U.S. and ex-China; vaccines overall low single-digit decline to stable.
Margin and Operational Leverage
Operating margin increased by 110 basis points in 2025 (reported margin 29.9% impacted by currency). Over four years, core margin accretion of ~470 basis points at CER. SG&A improvement and portfolio shift to specialty contributed to margin expansion.
Successful Business Development
Acquisition agreement announced to acquire Rapp Therapeutics (Ozureprubart for food allergy). Continued BD to add high-value clinical-stage specialty assets and platform deals; £4.5bn deployed in CapEx and BD in 2025.
Key Positive Clinical Readouts & Milestones
Positive B-WELL 1 & 2 Phase III results for bepirovirsen in chronic hepatitis B; KALM-2 last patient first visit achieved; Efimosfermin Phase III started; Velzatinib Phase III initiated for 2nd-line GIST. Multiple pivotal readouts and registrational starts scheduled for 2026–2028.