Cephalon reports “exceptional” sales

Cephalon, the biopharmaceutical company, has said it has achieved “exceptional” sales in its second quarterly results.

After posting losses in February for the 2005 financial year, Cephalon explained that strong sales of drugs like Provigil, the narcolepsy treatment approved for use in the UK, helped to drive profits for the first six months of 2006.

Provigil, the company’s best selling drug, has so far achieved total sales of $325.6 million (172.5 million pounds) for this year, with $18 million of sales in European countries – a one per cent increase on last year’s European figures.

Cephalon said it hoped to take advantage of its widening presence in the Provigil market, while diversifying with new drugs like Vivitrol, for the treatment of alcohol dependence, Sparlon, an attention deficit-hyperactivity disorder, and Nuvigil, a single-isomer formulation of Provigil, for the treatment of narcolepsy.

Sales in Gabitril, a seizure treatment, declined by 28 per cent after recent mixed trial results, although CEP-1347, an investigational asthma therapy, has shown promise in phase II clinical trials.

Frank Baldino Jr, chairman and chief executive officer of Cephalon, stated: “Both sales and earnings for the second quarter were exceptional, in part due to our decision earlier this year to reinvigorate Provigil marketing activity.”

“These opportunities, and our expanded presence in the primary care market from our Provigil co-promotion agreement with Takeda Pharmaceuticals, position Cephalon for strong future growth,” he added.

Cephalon’s UK interests were strengthened last December with the purchase of Oxford-based Zeneus Pharma, which produces oncology drugs like Myocet and Targretin.

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