Chiesi 2008 sales jump 14.3% to $972M

Italian drugmaker Chiesi says that its full-year 2008 sales reached 748.0 million euros ($971.9 million), up 14.3% on the year before,  almost three times the average growth rate in the European market.  Domestically, the firm achieved a 6.5% increase in direct sales "in a  considerably depressed market as far as pharmacy distribution is  concerned."

The new corporate products recently developed by the company represent  over half its global turnover. In particular, the asthma product Foster  (beclometasone dipropionate and formoterol fumarate) has exceeded  forecasts for most of the largest markets and is promising to become the  group's top product in 2009.

Chiesi says these results have put it - as the only Italian  representative - among the seven fastest-developing pharmaceutical  companies in the world, according to IMS Health Midas data for September  2008. There are currently 3,243 people working for Chiesi, a 10%  increase on last year as a result of additional employees recruited in  particular by its newly-established foreign affiliates.