Ranbaxy swings to loss in 1st qtr on US decline

India's largest drugmaker, Ranbaxy Laboratories, swung to a loss in the first quarter of 2009, reporting a deficit of 7.61 billion rupees ($15.0  million) versus a profit of 1.37 billion rupees in the like, year-ago  period, as sales in the USA, which accounts for almost a third of total  earnings, declined 7% to 4.4 billion rupees.

Worldwide sales dropped 4% to 15.58 billion rupees, despite the fact  that revenues in India - including earnings from Ranbaxy's consumer  health care business - grew 5% to 3.55 billion rupees.