Actelion announces better-than-expected 2013 results

Actelion has expressed satisfaction with its financial performance in 2013, during which it exceeded its previous forecasts.

The company's product sales total for the 12 months came to 1.78 billion Swiss francs (1.12 billion pounds), up by six percent on a constant exchange rate basis. Meanwhile, its core earnings rose by 20 percent year on year to 619 million Swiss francs.

Highlights of 2013 include the approval and highly successful US launch of its key new product Opsumit, which was also introduced in Europe at the start of this year. Since its American launch, the average numbers of Opsumit weekly prescriptions for new patients more than doubled those of Actelion's older product Tracleer.

The acquisition of Ceptaris and the rapid launch of Valchlor in the US also helped to drive growth.

Based on these positive results, the company has announced a guidance upgrade for 2014 to low single-digit percentage core earnings growth at constant exchange rates.

Dr Jean-Paul Clozel, chief executive officer of Actelion, said: "Actelion enjoyed a truly outstanding 2013. We delivered on our strategy and we achieved a higher profit than anticipated."