The Swiss health-care company Novartis has reported a net income of $2.33bn for the first quarter of 2012 – an 18 per cent decline, compared to $2.82bn for the same period last year.
The results were affected by a strong US dollar and weaker sales of the blood-pressure drug Diovan, which faces patent expiry. New products have so far been unable to compensate entirely for the drop in Diovan sales.
The company's net sales declined 2 per cent to $13.74bn (2011: $14.03bn), while operating income decreased 17 per cent to $2.82bn ($3.41bn).
However, net sales increased in the pharmaceuticals division by 2 per cent to $7.84bn (2011:7.7bn). Products launched since 2007 generated $2.6bn of net sales. These products – Lucentis, Tasigna, Afinitor and Gilenya – now represent 33 per cent of division sales, compared to 26 per cent in the same period last year. Afinitor, an oral inhibitor of the mTOR pathway used across multiple diseases, made a strong contribution in the first quarter, with sales of $143m.
Alcon net sales increased 5 per cent to $2.54bn, led by strong growth in the surgical division (9 per cent). Ophthalmic pharmaceuticals sales grew 5 per cent, while vision care grew 1 per cent.
Sandoz net sales declined 10 per cent to $2.12bn, against a very strong first quarter last year ($2.37bn).
Vaccines and diagnostics net sales were down 19 per cent to $299m (2011: $371m) but the contrast was mainly due to an exceptionally strong first quarter in 2011, which benefited from the release of bulk pediatric shipments.
Net sales for consumer health – which comprises OTC and animal health – declined 20 per cent to $932m (2011: $1.17bn), impacted by the suspension of production at a factory in Lincoln, Nebraska.
Joseph Jimenez, CEO of Novartis, said:
Novartis Pharmaceuticals and Alcon divisions delivered strong growth and operating leverage in the first quarter. Group net sales performance was impacted by Sandoz, which was up against a strong year-ago base with enoxaparin exclusivity, and by consumer health, which was impacted by the suspension of production at the Lincoln, Nebraska, manufacturing site.
We are making progress remediating the quality issues at the Lincoln site, as well as the three Sandoz production sites.