Chugai presents ‘flash’ financial report ahead of Roche results

Roche is to announce its half-year financial results later this week, with its subsidiary Chugai Pharmaceutical anticipating this publication with the presentation of a flash report of the company’s interim financial results for the period ending June 2007.

The company reported consolidated net sales of 170,900 million yen (688 million pounds) for the period from January to June 2007, an increase of 12 per cent on the comparable figure for 2006.

Operating income rose 30.7 per cent to 35,800 million yen, while net income grew 12.2 per cent on last year’s figure, reaching 21,100 million yen.

The firm noted rises in its sales of anti-influenza drug Tamiflu that it attributes to government purchases for stockpiling purposes, while a favourable foreign exchange rate boosted sales figures of recombinant human granulocyte colony-stimulating factor Neutrogin.

“At the profit level, although selling, general and administrative expenses increased due to proactive marketing and promotion activities, operating income, recurring profit and net income all increased compared with the same period last year, due to an increase in gross profit,” Chugai reported.

In April 2007, Roche reported that the company and its partners have the ability to manufacture over 400 million courses of Tamiflu every year, while the firm had received orders of 215 treatments from governments around the world.