Abbott Labs' 2nd-qtr 2007 profit soars 61.4%

US health care major Abbott Laboratories second-quarter 2007 generally-accepted accounting principles profit soared 61.4% on the like, year-ago period, to $988.7 million, or $0.63 per share, boosted by strong performance of its key prescription drugs.

The Illinois-based firm's diluted earnings per share, excluding specified items, totaled $0.69, which it noted was at the high end of its previously-announced $0.67 to $0.69 guidance range.

The US group's total worldwide earnings, which includes revenue from its nutritionals and medical devices businesses, totaled $6.37 billion, up 15.8%, with 17.7% US sales growth to $3.22 billion and a 13.9% increase in foreign income to $3.15 billion.