Allergan reports strong growth for year, fourth-quarter loss

IRVINE, Calif. — Allergan’s pharmaceutical sales increased 27.4% during the fourth quarter, the company announced in an earnings release. Net sales for the quarter were $479.4 million, including almost $20 million in nonpharmaceutical product sales to Advanced Medical Optics, a former subsidiary. The company’s fourth-quarter net loss was $91 million, which it attributed to acquisition costs and other special charges, compared with a profit of $64.4 million in the year-ago period.

For the full fiscal year, Allergan’s therapeutic sales accounted for about 60% of total Botox sales. For the year, sales of glaucoma agents Alphagan P and Alphagan (brimonidine) increased 15.4% to $286.8 million, and sales of Lumigan (bimatoprost) increased 47.4% to $181.3 million. Dry eye treatment Restasis (cyclosporine) posted year-end sales of $38.3 million. Sales of the nonophthalmic drugs Tazorac, Zorac and Avage (tazarotene), increased 29.3% to $80.3 million.

Highlights for the company during the quarter, according to the press release, included Canadian regulatory approval for glaucoma drug Combigan (brimonidine, timolol), U.S. regulatory approval of allergy drug Elestat (epinastine), and the completion of the company’s acquisition of Oculex Pharmaceuticals.

Allergan and Inspire Pharmaceuticals copromote Elestat in the United States, the release noted.

The company also noted that after the end of the fourth quarter, the European Commission approved Lumigan as a first-line therapy for open-angle glaucoma and ocular hypertension.