Pliva records sales increase

Eastern European healthcare firm Pliva has revealed that it posted a slight decrease in overall revenue during 2006 in comparison to the previous year’s trading.

The company saw overall takings of $1,051 million (532 million pounds) in the business year ending at December 2006, compared to 2005 when its revenue total reached $1,171 million.

Listed on both the London Stock Exchange and the Zagreb stock market, the global generics provider Pliva did however record an increase in sales last year and a rise in earnings by its generic drug development unit by $96 million.

The Croatian company is still in the process of being acquired by Barr Laboratories Europe, which is expected to be concluded in the first half of this year once all remaining shares have been purchased.

US generic drugs group Barr recently confirmed that it has commenced a legal challenge to a patent lodged by Otsuka Pharmaceuticals regarding the marketing of Abilify (aripiprazole) tablets.

The therapy is used in the treatment of a number of mental illnesses, including bipolar disorder and schizophrenia.

According to recent figures from the healthcare research division at IMS, Abilify achieved sales generating about $1.9 billion in the US in data ending January 2007.