AstraZeneca flags falling profit while awaits key drug data

By Ben Hirschler LONDON (Reuters) - AstraZeneca warned on Thursday that profit and revenue would both fall this year as cheap generic versions of its cholesterol drug Crestor continue to hit sales. The British pharmaceuticals group hopes that 2017 will be the earnings trough, but its recovery hinges on the success of new medicines and results from a clinical trial of a combination of two lung cancer drugs, which investors view as risky. This implies that, for the first time, Chief Executive Pasc