AstraZeneca sees further falls in Nexium prices

LONDON, Nov 1 (Reuters) - AstraZeneca Plc (AZN.L) expects further falls in the price it can charge for its top-selling Nexium stomach acid drug in the United States, reflecting increasingly challenging market conditions, its chief executive said on Thursday. "We have seen a continued price decline in the U.S. It's been part of our strategy around pricing and trying to gain share," David Brennan told analysts in a post-results call.

"We are now focused on trying to gain share from our competitors in the branded sector of the market, so I expect we will continue to see some erosion of price over time," he added.

Worldwide sales of Nexium fell 1 percent in the third quarter, to just under $1.3 billion, with sales in the United States down 3 percent.