Johnson and Johnson reports strong second-quarter growth

Johnson and Johnson has announced its financial results for the second quarter of 2013, during which it experienced strong year-on-year growth.

The group's net sales total of $17.9 billion (11.78 billion pounds) for the three-month period was up by 8.5 percent on Q2 2012.

Its consumer division experienced a 1.1 percent sales increase, thanks to rising demand for products such as Tylenol, Motrin and Listerine, while the pharmaceuticals unit's revenues saw an 11.7 percent surge.

Meanwhile, medical device and diagnostics sales shot up by 9.6 percent, reflecting the impact of the recent acquisition of Synthes and divestiture of the DePuy trauma business.

Alex Gorsky, the group's chairman and chief executive officer, said: "Our talented colleagues at Johnson and Johnson continue to bring meaningful innovations to patients and consumers around the world and have positioned us well to deliver sustainable growth."

The organisation comprises more than 275 operating companies in over 60 countries, with nearly 128, 000 people employed by the group worldwide.