1996 Sales Up 11.9% At Synthelabo

French pharmaceutical group Synthelabo has announced a sales increasein 1996 of 11.9% to 10.4 billion French francs ($1.9 billion), a rise of 11.4% on a comparable basis. The firm noted that sales abroad progressed strongly and now represent 63% of group turnover.

European turnover was up thanks to the success of the strategic products Stilnox (zolpidem), Xatral (alfuzosin) and Solian (amlodipine), and to the "progressive establishment of the organization by therapeutic field." European sales advanced 13.7% to 3.4 billion francs.

In Japan, revenues were 1.3 billion francs, up 14.8%. This growth, in spite of price cuts, is due to the success of Kerlong (betaxolol), and the reacquisition of two product licenses at the end of 1995. In North America, turnover was just over 1 billion francs, up 32.2%, and in other countries sales were up 17.3% to 732 million francs.