Taisho's sales jump 4.7% in fiscal 2007

Taisho's fiscal 2007 sales rose 4.7% on the previous year to 96.98 billion yen ($950.4 million) thanks to strong turnover of both its prescription and self-medication range, and lower selling, general and administrative expenses.

During the period, sales of Clarith (clarithromycin), a macrolide antibiotic, fell 6.6% to 25.5 billion yen, while Palux (alprodstadil), for arteriosclerosis obliteration, grew 1.8% to 11.4 billion yen, as turnover from antibiotic Pentcillin (piperacillin) rose 0.9% to 6.2 billion yen.

Revenue generated by Taisho's self-medication business grew 2.1% to 152.6 billion yen, driven by a 4.4% sales jump for its Lipovitan range of health tonic drinks to 76.6 billion yen. In the current fiscal year, the firm expects sales of Clarith to fall about 2.0 billion yen due to repricing as part of the expansion of the market.