HAFSLUND NYCOMED 46% OPERATING PROFIT JUMP

Norwegian company Haflsund Nycomed reported a massive 46% rise in total operating profits for 1991, reaching 1.58 billion Norwegian kroner ($251.7 million), on total operating revenues of 5.52 billion kroner ($879,9 million), up 27%. Pretax profits increased 26% to 1.31 billion kroner ($208.8 million), the company announced.

The results were helped by a strong strategic development program, which last year included the acquisition of DAK Labora-toriet of Denmark in January, an additional 10% holding in HN Pharma of Austria (formerly CL Pharma) in February and Benzon Pharma of Denmark in July. In October, Hafslund Nycomed extending its stake in HN Pharma by 35% to full control of the company, and in December it bought Kebo Care of Norway.

October also saw the approval in Ger-many of its contrast imaging agent Imago-paque (iopentol) and of Tachocomb (a post-surgery dressing) in Austria, while in November it established Nycomed Hellas SA in Greece, and applied for registration in the UK for Omniscan (gadodiamide), a magnetic resonance imaging compound.