Fujisawa Sees 31% Net Income Rise For FY1996

Japanese drug major Fujisawa says sales for the fiscal year ended March31 increased 2.5% to 224.66 billion yen ($1.94 billion), operating income was up 8.5% to 21.3 billion yen, recurring income increased 6.6% to 23.66 billion yen and net income leapt 30.8% to 6.42 billion yen.

Domestic turnover rose 1.2%, the company notes, more than absorbing the negative impact of the termination of its distributorship agreement with Teijin last October. Pharmaceutical exports and royalty income improved 1.8% to 17.29 billion yen and 28.9% to 5.12 billion yen respectively, due largely to increased overseas sales of the immunosuppressant Prograf (tacrolimus) and a weak yen against the US dollar.

Products contributing to Fujisawa's sales performance include its antihypertensive/cerebrocirculation-improving agent Nivadil (nilvadipine), with turnover of 16.7 billion yen, the oral cephalosporin Cefzon (cefdinir; 33.8 billion yen) and the anti-glaucoma agent Rescula (isopropyl unoprostone; 8.4 billion yen), as well as licensed-in products such as Intal (disodium cromoglycate; 17.4 billion yen), Xylocaine (lidocaine; 12.0 billion yen), Cefspan (cefixime; 11.5 billion yen) and Dogmatyl (sulpiride; 10.2 million yen).