Rebif pushes Serono sales up 16.2%

Serono of Switzerland says that sales for full-year 2000 increased 15.2%in local currencies to $1.15 billion, with growth being driven by the continued gain in market share by Rebif (interferon beta-1a) for multiple sclerosis. Sales of the drug soared 95.4% to $254.2 million, and Rebif now has a 31% share of the MS market outside the USA, larger than that of Biogen's Avonex (interferon beta-1a), claims the Swiss firm.

Sales of Gonal-F (follitropin alfa) increased 12.3% to $365.9 million, out of a total of $592.3 million for Serono's reproductive health product revenues, while sales of growth hormones in 2000 rose 6.4% to $90 million. Turnover of Serostim (somatropin) for AIDS wasting fell 0.2% to $137.1 million, which the company says was a result of a tightening in reimbursement for the drug.

Chief executive Ernesto Bertarelli said that 2001 should be an exciting year for Serono, with two major product launches due to take place in the near future. At the end of last year, the company was granted marketing approval throughout the European Union for the first-ever recombinant human luteinizing hormone, Luveris (lutropin alfa for injection; Marketletter December 11, 2000). The drug is indicated for the treatment of infertility, and Serono says it will launch the product in the first half of 2001.