Contact:
Astrid Nolte
Phone: + 43 - 1 - 811 40 - 319
E-Mail: editor@newsfox.com
| Pressbox | 
|
Strasburg (pte044/05.02.2003/14:08) - French pharmaceutical group Aventis greatly benefited from its core business in allergy medication last year.
In its 2002 annual report published today, the company announced it had increased its turnover to 17.59 billion euros from 16.58 billion in the previous year. Net profits climbed by 28 per cent to 2.08 billion euros. At the same time, earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA) rose to 4.5 billion euros. Profits per share also improved in 2002, reaching 2.62 euros
Driving these values was the group's core product Allegra, whicb is used to treat allergies. In 2002, sales of the medication brought in a turnover of 2.03 billion euros - an increase of 22.1 per cent compared to the year before.
One of the fastest growing markets for Allegra is the USA, where the product achieved a turnover of 1.73 billion euros, compared to 1.35 billion euros the year before. Sales of vaccines also increased in the US, boosted by an immunisation product called Daptacel.
The French group predicts there will be an increased demand for new products in 2003. Aventis chairman of the board Igor Landau said: "There is an urgent need for better therapies for chronic and life-threatening illnesses".
While analysts caution that growing competition on the US market may hamper the company's ambitious plans, Aventis is decidedly optimistic about the year to come. http://www.aventis.com/main/page.asp?pageid=29313954508378139033&lang=en
(end)
|
|
