LONDON — Novartis raised its profit forecast on Tuesday for the third time this year, boosted by strong sales of its main drugs.

The company said it expects operating profit for the full year to increase by a percentage in the range of 15%, up from previous forecasts.

Separately, Novartis CEO Vas Narasimhan said it would still be “a few years” before the company could submit an experimental drug for a rare bone marrow cancer to regulators. the centerpiece of a nearly $3 billion deal. Novartis had initially hoped to file for approval of its drug this year, but lingering questions about its data profile have yet to be resolved.

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