The firm’s net profits jumped 43% to US$3.2 billion in the second quarter of this year, it said in a statement.

Sales rose by nine percent to US$12.5 billion, narrowly beating the forecasts of analysts by Swiss financial news service AWP.

“Our performance reflects continued strong momentum of our key growth drivers” both in and outside the United States, CEO Vas Narasimhan said in the statement.

The results were driven in part by sales of drugs including heart failure treatment Entresto, which rose by nearly 30% to US$1.9 billion.

Sales of multiple sclerosis drug Kesimpta leapt 65% to nearly US$800 million, the firm said.

Breast cancer treatment Kisqali meanwhile saw sales jump more than 50% to over US$715 million.

Novartis, which raised its financial outlook when it announced its first quarter results in April, still expects sales to grow in the high-single to low double-digits.

But the firm raised its expectation for core operating income, predicting it would grow in the mid to high teens, up from “low double-digit to mid-teens” previously.

Last year, Novartis spun off Sandoz, one of the world’s biggest makers of generic and biosimilar medicines, and listed it on the Swiss stock exchange.