ZURICH, Oct 27 (Reuters) - Novartis reportedthird-quarter core net income fell, missing analyst forecasts asthe cancer portfolio acquired from GlaxoSmithKline and the Swisscompany's newer products failed to offset continuing weakness atits eye-care business Alcon.
The stronger dollar also hurt results.
Core net income was $3.06 billion, the world's biggestseller of prescription drugs reported, compared to the averageanalyst estimate of $3.128 billion in a Reuters poll. Sales fellto $12.265 billion, compared to the poll average of $12.62billion.
Novartis still expects annual sales to grow at amid-single-digit percentage rate, with core operating incomegrowing at high single digits, stripping out currency effects,it said on Tuesday. (Reporting by John Miller, Editing by Michael Shields)