SmithKline Beecham Sees Benefit Of New Products In 2nd Qtr

Anglo-American drugmaker Smith-Kline Beecham reports a 17% rise in second-quarter 1996 sales at L1.92 billion ($2.94 billion), trading profit up 14% at L370 million ($567 million), and pretax profits also 14% higher at L342 million ($523 million). Earnings per share/ American Depositary Receipt rose 12%.

Pharmaceuticals contributed L1.74 billion in sales for the quarter, up 17%, consumer health care products produced L866 million turnover, up 22%, and clinical laboratories revenues were L334 million, an increase of 6%. Trading profits for the three units were L413 million (+14%), L117 million (+22%) and L37 million (-1%), respectively. Commenting on the results, SB chief executive Jan Leschly said "new products continued to perform well, with their sales reaching L370 million in the quarter, a rise of 46% on the like, year-earlier period at comparable rates."

He went on to note that major new launches in the second quarter included Hycamtin (topotecan) in the USA, for recurrent ovarian cancer, and Vectavir (penciclovir) in the UK for cold sores. Also in the USA, said Mr Leschly, more convenient pediatric dosing regimens were approved for both Augmentin (amoxicillin plus clavulanic acid) and Havrix, "the world's first hepatitis A vaccine."