Shire earnings jump 54% for third quarter

Shire Pharmaceuticals of the UK has reported a 22% rise in revenues forthe third quarter of 2001 to $219.1 million, while pretax profits, excluding exceptionals, climbed 54% to $78 million. The revenue increase was driven by the firm's amphetamine-based attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder drug Adderall, which brought in $86.7 million, a rise of 45%, and Shire noted that it has recently launched the once-daily Adderall XR in the USA (Marketletter November 5).

Of its other products, Agrylin (anagrelide), which is the only drug licensed in the USA for the treatment of throm-bocythemia, had sales of $19.8 million, a 44% increase, while ProAmatine (midodrine) for orthostatic hypotension rose 29% to $6.9 million. Pentasa (sulfasalazine), for the treatment of ulcerative colitis, had turnover of $20 million (+39%), while Carbatrol (carbamazepine) was up 14% to $7.9 million.

Royalties increased 16% to $37.1 million, coming from GlaxoSmithKline, relating to 3TC and Zeffix (lamivudine) for HIV and chronic hepatitis B, respectively, and from Johnson & Johnson for the Alzheimer's drug Reminyl (galantamine hydrobromide).