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London, United Kingdom: British pharmaceutical group GSK reported Wednesday a sharp rise in net profit last year, boosted by strong HIV, respiratory and cancer drug sales as it recovered from costly US lawsuits over its Zantac heartburn drug.
Profit after tax climbed to £5.7 billion ($7.8 billion) compared with profit of £2.6 billion in 2024, GSK said in a statement.
Revenue rose four percent to £32.7 billion.
"GSK delivered another strong performance in 2025, driven mainly by Specialty Medicines," said chief executive Luke Miels, who took over from Emma Walmsley at the start of the year.
"We expect this positive momentum to continue in 2026," he added.
GSK forecast a low double-digit increase in revenue for its specialty medicines this year, but it expects revenue from vaccines and general medicines to decline.
Shares in GSK were up around two percent at the open on the London Stock Exchange, where the top-tier FTSE 100 index was trading higher overall.
The company's 2025 earnings rose significantly from the previous year, when it agreed to pay $2.3 billion to end lawsuits alleging that Zantac caused cancer, though the group did not admit any liability.
