Arthritis drug Humira boosts AbbVie profits

AbbVie, the drugmaker buying Dublin-based Shire plc to lower its tax rate, reported profit that beat analysts’ estimates on strong sales of the arthritis drug, Humira.

Second-quarter net income rose 2.8% to $1.1bn, or 68 cents a share, from $1.07bn, or 66 cents, a year earlier, the company said in a statement.

Excluding one-time items, earnings were 82 cents a share, beating by 6 cents the average of seven analysts’ estimates compiled by Bloomberg.