Schwarz's 1st-qtr sales up 4% to 274M euros

Schwarz Pharma achieved sales of 247.4 million euros ($344.5 million) in the first quarter of 2006, up 3.9% on the like, year-ago period. The firm noted that with increased selling expenses in connection with the market launch of Neupro (rotigotine transdermal patch) for Parkinson's disease and high R&D costs, it achieved an operating result of 11.4 million, a 62.5% nose dive.

Pharmaceutical industry analysts at Lehman Brothers noted that, while these results were ahead of its expectations, the firm, which is Germany's fifth-largest drugmaker by revenue, is not raising its full-year projections despite receiving a milestone payment for its developmental over-active bladder treatment, fesoterodine.

Evaluating Schwarz' product pipeline, analysts at the firm welcomed the news that Neupro's refiling with the US Food and Drug Administration was on track for August but warned that lacosamide, its treatment for neuropathic pain could require additional Phase III testing.