Crestor boosts AstraZeneca

AstraZeneca posted better-than-expected profits yesterday as key brands such as the cholesterol product Crestor helped it to weather testing conditions.

The group's fourth-quarter haul topped forecasts at $2.7bn (£1.7bn), a drop of 5 per cent, and meant that Astra delivered profits for the year of just over $13bn, up 2 per cent.

David Brennan, chief executive, said the 2010 performance showed the resilience of Astra's business as it faced up to government pressure on pricing and patent expiries.