Alcon announces global sales rise for Q1

First quarter (Q1) global sales for pharmaceutical firm Alcon reached $1,536.4 million (777.4 million pounds), representing a 16.2 per cent increase compared to figures from 2007.

In Q1, pharmaceutical sales increased by 13.3 per cent to $628.4 million, a growth partially fuelled by sales of the firm’s Travatan brand of ophthalmic solutions and Azopt ophthalmic suspension.

Sales of allergy products – including Pataday and Ptatanol ophthalmic solution – grew by 16.3 per cent.

Looking forward, Alcon announced plans to construct a pharmaceutical manufacturing plant based in Singapore. It is thought ground will be broken on the project in 2009 and it will be running at full capacity by 2012.

Alcon was founded by Robert Alexander and William Conner in 1945. It currently operates offices in 75 countries around the world and its core businesses are centred on the pharmaceutical, surgical and consumer vision care sectors.

The firm employs around 15,000 staff and distributes its products in over 180 countries.