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Alcon increases first quarter global sales by almost 20% over last year

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HUNENBERG, Switzerland – Alcon reported global sales of $963.6 million for the first quarter of 2004, up 19.4% from the same quarter in 2003. Net earnings for the quarter increased 46.7% compared to the first quarter of 2003, to $191 million, according to a financial release from Alcon.

The company’s U.S. sales grew 13.6% to $484.7 million. International sales grew 25.8% to $478.9 million.

Glaucoma medication Travatan (travoprost) posted sales of $46.8 million, a 58% increase over the previous year’s first quarter. Patanol (olopatadine), which was launched in two new markets, Germany and France, helped increase sales of the company’s allergy products by 38.3%.

Vigamox (moxifloxacin) now accounts for 54% of U.S. fluoroquinolone sales, according to Alcon.

The company’s surgical sales rose 17.8% to $443.9 million, according to the release. The AcrySof Natural IOL “continued to gain physician acceptance,” the company said, as its sales of IOLs increased 20.7% to $142 million.

Cataract and vitrectomy product sales increased 18.8%, with a “key driver of growth” being the company’s Infiniti system, the release said. Refractive revenue declined 14.6% because of a steep decline in global equipment sales.

Systane, Alcon’s new dry eye treatment, helped grow the company’s artificial tears product line by 21.5%, the release said.

Alcon also noted that a phase 3 trial of the ReStor IOL has reached its 6-month data point and the company expects to file a premarket approval application with U.S. regulators during the second quarter.