AstraZeneca profit meets estimates

AstraZeneca Plc, the UK’s secondlargest drugmaker, has reported fourth- quarter earnings in line with estimates as sales of its heart medicine Brilinta surged. Core operating profit, which excludes some costs, rose 31 percent to $ 1.56 billion. Chief Executive Pascal Soriot said AstraZeneca faced a “transitional period”, however, due to the expiry of the US patent for Crestor in May 2016.