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.

Group revenue grew 12 percent to $15.2 billion, driven by oncology drugs.

“We are… delivering on our strategy to strengthen our operations in the United States to power our growth,” chief executive Pascal Soriot said in the earnings statement.

“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 d

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