Alcon net earnings increase 19% during first quarter; deal signed with Amgen

HUNENBERG, Switzerland — Alcon reported global sales of $1.16 billion for the first quarter of 2006, an 8.1% increase from the first quarter in 2005. Net earnings increased 18.5% during the quarter to $295.7 million, the company said in a press release.

In pharmaceuticals, sales of glaucoma medications increased 2.9%, led by growth in Travatan (travoprost) and Azopt (brinzolamide). Travatan sales rose 13%. Sales of infection/inflammation products increased 8.4%, led by increased penetration of Vigamox (moxifloxacin) and Nevanac (nepafenac), the company said. Allergy product sales increased 23.4% as the allergy category grew in the United States and because retailers increased inventories of Patanol (olopatadine), the company said.

Surgical sales rose 7.6% to $525.2 million. Sales of IOLs increased 18.7% to $188.5 million, primarily driven by an increase in sales of the company’s ReSTOR lens. Global sales of the lens increased to $23.3 million during the quarter, up from $3.2 million during the first quarter of 2005.

Sales of cataract and vitrectomy products rose 3.4%, while vitreoretinal surgical products “continued to grow faster than the market and also benefited from the continued transition to higher value 25 gauge technology,” the company said.

Consumer eye care sales increased 4.4% to $156.8 million.

In other news, Amgen and Alcon will “jointly research, develop and commercialize therapeutics for the treatment of eye diseases,” according to a joint press release. Under terms of the agreement, Amgen will be responsible for providing existing and future molecules that have been or are identified to have potential use in ocular diseases and will have an opportunity to co-promote the treatment if it becomes commercially viable, the companies said.

Alcon will lead clinical development and commercialization activities, according to the release.