Six-Month Sales Up 12.4% at Synthelabo

At French pharmaceutical group Synthelabo, first-half sales increased12.4%, to 5.7 billion French francs ($941 million), a rise of 7% on a comparable basis. Total drug sales went up 13.1% (7.4% on a comparable basis) to 5.35 billion francs.

The firm noted that domestic sales, which accounted for one-third of group turnover in the first half, continued to be weak, with sales of 1.93 billion francs leading to a change on a comparable basis of -0.1%. Outside France, growth was 11.1% on a comparable basis, despite weak performance in Germany, as well as Japanese revenues remaining flat, following April's price cuts.

Turnover in the USA showed very strong growth, with an underlying increase of 27.8%, due principally to the success of strategic product Stilnox (zolpidem), up 37% to $175 million (under the sleeping disorder drug's US tradename Ambien). The US market now accounts for over 12% of sales, as opposed to 8% just 18 months ago.