Eli Lilly will not cut back in France

US pharmaceutical major Eli Lilly's French subsidiary has been affected by the recent wave of economies and health service cutbacks introduced by the government but will not reduce its team in France. The group's chief executive, Sidney Taurel said the company did not expect growth in 2006, and this was for the very first time.

The company's pharmacy sales dropped 2% in first-half 2006, according to data from the GERS consultancy. Mr Taurel added that Lilly would not be making its own cutbacks in France in contrast to some other companies which have slashed the numbers of medical representatives. The group employs 2,920 people in France, with 1,915 in the plant at Fegersheim alone. He said growth would resume in 2007 and it would then need all the representatives it has.

Two new products will be launched by the US major in France, provided approval is obtained from the Higher Health Authority (HAS) - Byetta (exenatide), an anti-diabetic, and Cymbalta (duloxetine), an anti-depressant. Both drugs are already on the US market. A near-doubling of Cymbalta turnover is expected in 2006 and Byetta is forecast to perform similarly in 2007, according to a report from Goldman Sachs. Lilly is also benefiting in France from the development of Cialis (tadalafil), a treatment for erectile dysfunction whose sales are reported to have outpaced those of Pfizer's Viagra (sildenafil) in France.