Roussel Uclaf Net Income Soars 52%

France's Roussel Uclaf reports net income (on a comparable basis for the first nine months of 1994 of 715.3 million French francs ($138.9 million), a massive 52.0% rise on the like, 1993 period. Net income was up 9.2% to 635.7 million francs, on sales of 13.06 billion francs ($2.54 billion), up 13.8%. On a comparable basis, sales rose 2.3%.

Health care sales rose 3.1%, with a strong contribution from international operations, especially Japan, Latin America and European countries that enjoyed a recovery from the previous year, the company notes. However, in France, where the pharmaceutical industry is facing a difficult environment, the group turned in a mixed performance depending on the therapeutic range or laboratory. Drug sales advanced at nearly the same pace as in the year-earlier period, RU adds.

Sales of the Agroveterinary Division, the crop protection and environmental health part of which is to be transferred to Hoechst Schering AgrEvo GmbH on November 30, were down 3.3%, but the animal health business saw strong operating income growth.