Lipha US Sales Match Drug Turnover In France

French drug group Lipha, 98%-owned by Merck KGaA of Germany, achievedsales in the US market in 1996 which are close to those recorded in France. Group consolidated turnover rose 19% to 3.98 billion French francs ($693.3 million), with gross operating profits at 817 million francs (20.5% of 1996 sales compared with 18% in 1995) and with net profit of 435 million francs, an increase of 23% over 1995.

Growth has been fueled largely by the US market, where total sales rose 52% to some 1.35 billion francs or 34% of group turnover. Lipha's leading subsidiary is now Dey Laboratories, which produces generics for the treatment of respiratory diseases and sales of which rose 30% last year to 883 million francs.

Progress For Glucophage Lipha's Glucophage (metformin), introduced in the North American market in 1995 via a license sold to Bristol-Myers Squibb, has become the USA's most-prescribed oral drug for the treatment of non-insulin-dependent diabetes, says the company, with sales of about 1.7 billion francs in 1996, from which Lipha derives 471 million francs. The French firm has now received the go-ahead for clinical trials in the USA of Campral (acamprosate), its treatment for severe alcoholism.