Sandoz Half-Year Sales Up 6%, But Pharma Down 2%

Sales of 8.68 billion Swiss francs were reported by drugmaker Sandoz for the first six months of this year, an increase of 6% on the like, year-earlier period. However, in local currency terms, Sandoz says turnover increased 17%.

But the pharmaceuticals division, which turned in sales of 3.51 billion Swiss francs, saw a 2% decline in francs terms but an 8% increase in local currencies.

Pharmaceutical sales growth accelerated in the second quarter, according to the company, with strong demand particularly in the USA, which led to more than quadrupled sales in local currency terms for the cholesterol inhibitor Lescol (fluvastatin). High growth rates were also posted for the antifungal Lamisil (terbinafine), up 35%, while Sandimmun (ciclosporin) and Neoral (ciclosporin) used in transplant medicine, were 10% higher, the antiasthma drug Zaditen (ketotifen), was up 14%, and sales of Miacalcic (calcitonin) increased 11%.