BioMerieux reports strong growth in 2012

BioMerieux has announced its financial results for the 2012 full-year period, during which it was able to achieve its business objectives for the year.

The life science company's sales for the 12 months came to 1.57 billion euros (1.35 billion pounds), representing a 6.8 percent increase on last year on a constant exchange rate basis, while operating income before non-recurring items reached 260 million euros.

Over the course of the year, BioMerieux introduced 19 new products, created a new chief medical officer role and announced strategic agreements with organisations such as RAS Lifesciences, Thermo Fisher Scientific and the Genome Institute.

In 2013, the firm will launch three innovative system, before introducing a fully-automated molecular biology system being developed with Biocartis the following year.

Jean-Luc Belingard, chairman and chief executive officer at BioMerieux, said: "These results attest to our competitiveness and to the validity of our strategic positioning as a leader in clinical and industrial microbiology, and as a differentiated player in the fields of immunoassays and molecular biology."

The company operates in more than 160 countries worldwide and marks its 50th anniversary this year.