LONDON, Nov 6, 2025 (BSS/AFP) - British pharmaceutical giant AstraZeneca announced surging quarterly profit Thursday on strong sales of cancer drugs and as the group zones in on the United States, pressured by President Donald Trump.

Net profit jumped 77 percent to $2.53 billion in the third quarter compared with the July-September period one year earlier, AstraZeneca said in a statement.

"We are... delivering on our strategy to strengthen our operations in the United States to power our growth," said chief executive Pascal Soriot.

"This includes a historic agreement with the US government to lower the cost of medicines for American patients, and broadening our US manufacturing footprint."

Trump last month announced a deal with AstraZeneca for significantly lower drug prices in the United States.

In exchange, the Trump administration agreed to a three-year delay on new tariffs.

Meanwhile in July, AstraZeneca announced plans to invest $50 billion by 2030 on boosting its US manufacturing and research operations.

And at the end of September, it said it planned to list its shares directly on the New York Stock Exchange to attract more investors.

Britain's largest drugmaker will remain headquartered in the UK and keep its primary listing on London's top-tier FTSE 100 index.

However, the move highlights the increasing importance of the US market to AstraZeneca, which Thursday added that group revenue grew 12 percent to $15.2 billion in the third quarter, driven by oncology drugs.