By Maggie Fick and Yadarisa Shabong (Reuters) -Drugmaker AstraZeneca lifted its annual sales and profit forecast for the second time this year on Tuesday, helped by strong demand for its cancer and rare diseases medicines,

AstraZeneca Plc (NASDAQ:AZN) reported third-quarter sales of $13.57 billion, up 18% year over year (+21% at constant currency), beating the consensus of $13.09 billion. The company’s adjusted EPADS reached $1.

The U.K. drugmaker also announced plans to drop another $2 billion on expanding its R&D and manufacturing footprint in the “important” U.S. market.

Drugmaker AstraZeneca lifted its annual sales and profit forecast for the second time in less than four months on Tuesday, helped by resilient demand for its cancer and rare diseases medicines, after third-quarter results beat estimates.

AstraZeneca Plc raised its annual forecast, driven by strong demand for its blockbuster cancer drugs, and revealed a plan to invest $3.5 billion in the US business by the end of 2026.

The pharmaceutical giant raised its full-year guidance after third-quarter revenue and core earnings per share topped analysts’ expectations.