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(Adds details on earnings, vaccine data)
Nov 5 (Reuters) - AstraZeneca, the British drugmaker
working on one of the world's leading COVID-19 vaccine
candidates, on Thursday beat third-quarter sales estimates as
demand for its diverse portfolio of drugs remained strong during
COVID-19 pandemic lockdowns, and it maintained its 2020
forecasts.
The company reiterated it expected results from the
late-stage trials on its experimental COVID-19 vaccine later
this year, depending on the rate of infection among trial
participants.
Product sales, which exclude payments from collaborations,
rose 7% to $6.52 billion for the three months ended Sept. 30 on
a constant-currency basis, ahead of a company-compiled consensus
of $6.50 billion.
However, the company reported core earnings of 94 cents per
share, lower than analysts' expectations of 98 cents.
(Reporting by Pushkala Aripaka, Ludwig Burger in Frankfurt;
Editing by Bernard Orr)
