United Drug issues interim management statement

United Drug has published an interim management statement covering the three-month period to the end of June 2008.

This document has been issued in compliance with the Transparency Directive of the EU and represents the third quarter of the company’s 2008 fiscal year.

United Drug reported good trading conditions across the group during the period, with the overall performance for the nine months to the end of June in line with expectations well ahead of that seen in 2007.

During the period, the company continued to expand with the acquisitions of Universal Conference and Incentive Travel and Business Edge Solutions and Training to expand the range of value-added marketing services and sales available to pharmaceutical manufacturer clients.

“Both businesses have made a positive contribution to the group during the period,” United Drug said.

It added the existing event management business of Procon would be merged with the Universal acquisition to offer a more comprehensive service offering for its pharmaceutical companies.

Since the end of June, United Drug announced it had signed an agreement to purchase pharmaceutical contract packaging company Sharp for $99 million (52 million pounds).

On announcing this agreement last month, United Drug said the company would fit well with its existing packaging operations and offer services to the same client base in major European markets.