Lilly highlights growth in second quarter of 2013

Lilly has announced its financial results for the second quarter of 2013, during which it achieved a revenue total of $5.93 billion (3.88 billion pounds).

This represented a year-on-year increase of six percent, with rising sales for products such as Cymbalta, Alimta, Humalog, Cialis and Humulin helping to offset the loss of patent exclusivity for Zyprexa.

Its higher revenue and ongoing cost containment also helped to drive strong earnings growth, while progress was made on the development of products such as LY2963016, dulaglutide and empagliflozin.

For the first six months of 2013, Lilly's worldwide total revenue came to $11.53 billion, an increase of three percent on the first half of 2012.

Lilly's chairman, president and chief executive officer Dr John Lechleiter said: "Continued operating and financial discipline, along with a maturing pipeline of potential new medicines, gives me great confidence in the company's ability to meet the challenges we face."

Dr Lechleiter returned to his duties as the head of Lilly after taking a period of medical leave due to surgery for a dilated aorta.