UCB 1st-half pharma sales leap 31%

Belgian chemicals and pharmaceutical firm UCB has reported a 19%increase in group sales at 1.32 billion euros ($1.15 billion) for the first half of 2001, and net profits of 170 million euros, up 21%.

Pharmaceutical turnover for the group reached 769 million euros for the period, a rise of 31%, due largely to the progress of the anti-allergy drugs Zyrtec (cetirizine) and Xyzal (levocetirizine) and neurological drug Keppra (levetiracetam), as well as products resulting from UCB's acquisition of Japan's Fujirebio (Marketletters passim).

The firm notes that sales of Zyrtec in the USA reached $440 million in the period, up 33%, and a launch there of Zyrtec-D is planned this fall. In Japan, Zyrtec turnover grew 17% to 133 million euros. In Europe, UCB's allergy franchise achieved sales of 188 million euros, 12% higher than first-half 2000, and the firm notes that its newer allergy product, Xyzal/Xusal, has been "extremely well accepted by the medical community after only a few months on the Swiss and German markets."