AstraZeneca hit by slip in Losec sales

AstraZeneca says that sales for the first quarter of 2001 increased 7%to $3.99 billion, while operating profit was 12% higher at $1.06 billion and pretax profits also rose 12% to $1.11 billion. Earnings per share came in at $0.45 (+12%).

The company said that the results were in line with expectations, but most striking was the decline in sales of its best-selling drug, the antiulcerant Losec/Prilosec (omeprazole). Sales of the product slipped 3% to just under $1.50 billion, and were down 7% in the USA, though AstraZeneca noted that total prescriptions in the country for Prilosec actually rose 3%. The firm's chief executive, Tom McKillop, noted that the new follow-on drug Nexium (esomeprazole) achieved turnover of $81 million and claimed that its initial uptake in the USA has been encouraging.

In terms of cardiovascular products, Zestril (lisinopril) rose 11% to $294 million, while Atacand (candesartan cilexetil) leapt 59% to $83 million. Seloken/Toprol-XL (metoprolol) was up 49% to $151 million, due to strong growth in the USA (+118%), though Plendil (felodipine) fell 3% to $106 million. AstraZeneca's respiratory franchise increased 18% to $381 million, boosted by the performance of Pulmicort (budesonide), which rose 22% to $200 million, although Accolate (zafirlukast) continued its decline, down 9% to $49 million. Rhinocort (also budesonide) was up 42% to $56 million, helped by sales of the once-daily nasal spray formulation Rhinocort Aqua, while Oxis (formoterol) brought in revenues of $32 million (+30%).