Roche doubles profits in 2004
The Swiss pharmaceutical group Roche doubled its net income in 2004 to 6.6 billion Swiss francs, buoyed by double-digit growth in sales, gains from the 2003 sale of its consumer-health business concerns, and the conversion and redemption of debt instruments.
But even minus the windfall profit from the sale of its consumer lines, Roche's net income showed an increase of 972 million Swiss francs or 29 percent above 2003 profits, according to a statement from the company's headquarters in Basel, Switzerland.
"We achieved, and in some cases even exceeded, our ambitious goals for the year," said Franz Humer, Roche chief executive officer. "Our operating profit was the highest ever in Roche's history. We gained marketing approvals for two breakthrough anticancer medicines. And we intensified the focus on our core capabilities."
Sales revenues from the group's continuing businesses rose to 29.5 billion Swiss francs in 2004, an increase of 12 percent in local currencies, nine percent in Swiss francs, and 18 percent in US dollars. Prescription-drug sales advanced 13 percent in local currencies (10 percent in Swiss francs), with positive contributions to growth coming from the Roche prescription subdivision and from the strategic alliances with Genentech in the United States and Chugai in Japan. In the diagnostics division, sales rose eight percent in local currencies (six percent in Swiss francs), led by diabetes care, molecular diagnostics, and immunochemistry businesses.
The company said its financial income improved compared with the previous year's. The group had a net financial expense of 359 million Swiss francs for 2004 vis-à-vis 667 million in 2003. Debt was reduced by 6.3 billion Swiss francs to 9 billion Swiss francs, resulting in a drop in interest expense. The conversion and redemption of debt instruments yielded a pretax profit of 908 million Swiss francs.
"Given the tremendous need for new and better medical solutions and the explosive progress of science and technology, the outlook for continued growth is good despite today's challenging marketplace. We thus expect sales in both divisions to continue to grow faster than the market this year," said Humer.
This year's operations in the pharmaceuticals division will be influenced by the expiry of the US patent for Rocephin and by costs for product launches in key markets and significant development activities, the company said. As an overall outcome the division anticipates local-currency sales growth above the world market and an operating profit margin broadly in line with that for 2004. The diagnostics division expects to post an operating profit margin of around 23 percent in 2006.
AstraZeneca posts US$21B sales
Boosted by a last-quarter surge, global sales of London-based AstraZeneca PlC grew by nine percent to US$21.4 billion last year at constant exchange rates vis-à-vis 2003 sales of US$18.8 billion.
The company's performance report posted at its web site (astrazenecapressoffice.com) said a strong fourth-quarter performance enabled AstraZeneca to post a whopping US$4.9 billion pretax profit, up 16 percent over 2003 net income of US$4.2 billion. Sales for the last three months of the year were up 16 percent to US$5.8 billion compared with US$4.9 billion for the same period in 2003.
"We have delivered a strong fourt-quarter performance, with earnings per share up 68 percent, which has resulted in AstraZeneca achieving an excellent financial performance in 2004, despite some disappointment with recently introduced products," said Sir Tom McKillop, chief executive of AstraZeneca.
The company's US$4.9-billion profit translated to earnings per share of US$2.11 compared with US$1.78 the year before.
Added McKillop: "We are determined to restore shareholder confidence and deliver good earnings growth in the coming years through strong sales growth from key products and continued delivery of productivity gains while progressing the development pipeline."
AstraZeneca's key growth products sold over US$11 billion for the year, 30 percent higher than in 2003 and accounted for 52 percent of total sales. These included US$3.9 billion from Nexium (up 15 percent), US$908 million from Crestor (US$543 million in the United States), US$797 million from Symbicort (up 32 percent), US$2 billion from Seroquel (up 33 percent), and US$1.2 billion from Iressa and Arimidex. Iressa sales skyrocketed by 65 percent from US$228 million in 2003 to US$389 million while Arimidex sales shot up 48 percent from US$519 million to US$811 million.
The bulk of the sales were generated in the US (US$9.63 billion, up 10 percent) and Europe (US$7.65 billion, up three percent). In Japan, with Iressa sales reaching US$138 million and Losec sales rising by 24 percent, total sales grew by 11 percent to US$1.43 billion last year. But the highest growth rate was posted in the rest of AstraZeneca's amrkets worldwide where sales rose by 16 percent to US$2.72 billion in 2004 from the year-ago level of US$2.2 billion.
Fresenius Medical ups income 21%
BAD HOMBURG, Germany
Fresenius Medical Care (FMC), the world's leading supplier of dialysis products and services, posted a 21-percent hike in net profits to US$402 million last year, higher than its target.
Sales were up by 13 percent at US$6.228 billion, FMC said. FMC publishes its accounts in US dollars. Excluding exchange rate effects, sales would have risen by 10 percent.
In the fourth quarter alone, bottom-line profits were up 14 percent at US$108 million on a 13-percent rise in sales to US$1.64 billion.
And looking ahead to the current year, FMC was pencilling in "low double-digit percentage increase" in net profit and currency-adjusted sales growth of between six and nine percent.
AFP
Fresenius Kabi subsidiary put up
Fresenius Kabi (FK), an international leading company for nutrition and infusion therapy, has decided to strengthen its market presence in the Philippines. It spun off from Zuellig Pharma Corporation on January 1 and established Fresenius Kabi Philippines to operate as a subsidiary of Fresenius AG.
The establishment of this new corporate entity should be seen as FK's strong commitment to the Philippines, says country manager Mr. George Chan. He explains that in addition to its high-quality products, FK Philippines will provide its in-depth knowledge in nutrition and infusion therapy to customers in the Philippines by further scientific support and continuous education.
Currently, its major product in the country is HAES-steril or hydroxyethyl starch, a type of colloid that studies have shown efficient at managing blood-volume deficiencies and circulatory disturbances. It is distributed at six-percent and 10-percent isotonic sodium-chloride solution.
In accordance with the company vision, FK Philippines optimizes patient care and supports medical professionals in treatment of critically ill patients.
"In the long-term, FK Philippines aims to be the leading provider of nutrition and infusion therapy in the Philippines," Chan says.
The corporate headquarters of FK are located in Bad Homburg, a town near Frankfurt in Germany. It is a subsidiary of Fresenius AG and has approximately 11,000 employees in more than 30 countries.
FK's product portfolio in the field of infusion therapy comprises intravenous solutions, active ingredients and medical-technical products. It includes products for fluid and blood-volume replacement and general anesthetic agents. Infusion-therapy products are mainly used in surgery, intensive-care, and emergency medicine.
FK also provides patients with parenteral and enteral nutrition including medical-technical products that patients need both during hospitalization and in ambulatory setting.
M. Ciriacruz
Japan's top drug makers tie up
TOKYO
Japan's main pharmaceutical companies, led by the largest, Takeda Chemical Industries Co., will form partnerships to develop products for the over-the-counter (OTC) market. Takeda, Taisho Pharmaceutical Co., and SSP Co. will share basic data through a research and development alliance tailored to specific drug categories, the Nihon Keizai Shimbun reported.
With the tie-up, the three will aim to cut development costs for new types of preventive drugs for Japan's nonprescription market, the business daily said. This marks the first time companies will cooperate from the research stage for main compounds, the lifeline of pharmaceutical products.
Under the plan, the partnerships will cover drugs to treat lifestyle-related illnesses such as hypertension, hyperlipidemia, diabetes and obesity. Data needed for the drug approval process would be jointly gathered, with the effort shared through to the submission of approval applications to the health ministry.
Once approved, each firm would market the drug under its own brand, the report said, adding that a survey of similar products in Europe and the United States may be conducted jointly. The alliance could be formed by the end of March 2006, with the first product reaching the market three years later, the daily said.
AFP
MedoCare signs deal with Meralco
MedoCare Health Systems Inc. recently signed a two-year contract with the Manila Electric Company (Meralco) to provide health coverage for its employees' families and dependents numbering about 30,000. The benefits include routine medical consultation, hospitalization, outpatient care, and annual check-up. This is the second contract between MedoCare and Meralco. Last year, they signed a similar contract covering 2,000 current and retired Meralco executives.
Under the plan, the beneficiaries may seek treatment in any of the 200 MedoCare-accredited hospitals nationwide, 40 of them in Metro Manila. MedoCare has accredited "primary physicians" in these hospitals who conduct the initial examination and refer the patient to a specialist if necessary.
NKTI sets up transplant registry
The National Kidney and Transplant Institute (NKTI) marked its 22nd anniversary with the launch on February 23 of the Philippine Transplant Database. The establishment of the database, supported in part by Roche Philippines, adds to a long list of NKTI's pioneering accomplishments since the institute was set up in 1983.
Dr. Enrique Ona, NKTI executive director, said the database will contain information about organ donors and recipients in the Philippines and serve as a national registry comparable to that of the United Network for Organ Sharing in the United States. Among others, it will have up-to-date information on the laboratory examinations and immune-suppression regimen of every transplant patient.
The NKTI envisions all transplant centers in the country to enlist their patients for easier access to organ donors. The database will provide transplant centers with the opportunity to monitor their graft outcomes while maintaining confidentiality of patient and hospital records through the use of secure passwords. The NKTI said that with the database, the Philippines would have complete and comprehensive information vital to ensuring the success of a transplant program. The database will be web-based, which makes it easier for transplant centers anywhere in the country to submit data and access information they need.
It took the NKTI and the other transplant centers in the country years of planning and work to have the registry put up. Apart from leading the local effort, NKTI also actively takes part in international studies on graft outcomes to continuously uplift the plight of patients with end-stage renal failure. Among these are the Collaborative Transplant Study based in Germany, the Transplant Procurement Management in Barcelona, and the OTA Medical Research Institute in Tokyo.
The NKTI accounts for almost half of the total kidney transplants done in the Philippines. It also performs double-organ transplants, like kidney/live and liver/pancreas, as well as bone-marrow transplants.
It boasts of being one of the most advanced medical facilities with state-of-the-art equipment, and is backed by more than 300 competent medical specialists and support staff to handle emergency and the most complicated cases. It is the only government hospital with an ISO 9001:2000 certification in comprehensive specialty health-care services.
More information about the Philippine Transplant Database may be obtained from the Renal Disease Control Program (63-2-9277314, 63-2-9253679) or the Human Organ Preservation Effort (63-2-9244673).
Xylitol-enhanced oral-care products
Used in foods since the 1960s, xylitol is a penta sugar alcohol that occurs naturally in fruits, vegetables, and even algae. This white, crystalline substance is obtained through the hydrogenation of xylose, and is a normal intermediate product of carbohydrate metabolism in humans and animals. It is used as a sugar substitute in other countries. In the United States, the Code of Federal Regulations stated that xylitol "may be safely used in foods for special dietary uses, provided the amount used is not greater than that required to produce its intended effect."
A number of studies have looked into the possible health effects of xylitol. One well-documented benefit is its contribution to the prevention of acute otitis media as well as in helping reduce the usage of antimicrobials in children. In a paper published in Pediatrics in October 1998, it was shown that xylitol could inhibit the growth of pneumonococci, but it appeared to affect other otopathogens as well.
The study added that xylitol is absorbed slowly by the gut, and may cause osmotic diarrhea if consumed in large amounts. Children however can take up to 45 grams of the substance daily without exhibiting any significant gastrointestinal symptoms.
But one of its most significant benefits is in oral care. Compared with sugar, it offers a significantly low risk for the development of dental caries. There are also some studies that point to its ability to arrest and to some extent reverse tooth decay. It is nonfermentable and cannot be converted to acids by oral bacteria. It creates an alkaline environment that is inhospitable to destructive bacteria like Streptococcus mutans, and can actually inhibit plaque formation.
In the Philippines, Pediaharma Inc. has xylitol-formulated oral-care products, which were developed by pediatrician Art Ludan, cited as one of Ten Outstanding Young Men (TOYM) in 1977 and is now president and chief executive officer of Pediapharma.
One of these is Xylogel, a teething and healing oral gel that helps relieve teething pain and discomfort as well as heal inflamed gums and mouth sores. It also helps fight dental caries and acute otitis media. Meanwhile, Xylorinse is an alcohol-free and fresh-mint-flavored mouthwash containing 2.5-percent xylitol, cetylpyridinium chloride (which helps make it a safe and pharyngeal antiseptic), and sodium fluoride (helps strengthen dental enamel). Last, Xyloclens is a kiddie toothpaste specially formulated with xylitol and fluoride to maintain overall oral health. It comes in bubblegum and strawberry flavors.
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