FRANKFURT, July 18 Reuters Swiss drugmaker Novartis raised its 2024 earnings guidance for the second time on Thursday, driven by a gain in prescriptions of drugs including heart failure treatment Entresto and Kesimpta for multiple sclerosis.

It said in a statement that fullyear adjusted operating income is expected to grow by a mid to high teens percentage, where it had previously seen a low doubledigit to midteens percentage.

Secondquarter adjusted operating income gained 17 to 4.95 billion, beating an average analyst estimate of just over 4.6 billion.

Sales of the Entresto and Kesimpta, as well as psoriasis and arthritis drug Cosentyx, came in ahead of the market consensus.

Reporting by Ludwig Burger, editing by Miranda Murray

Source Reuters