Novartis’ ophthalmic sales increased 12% during second quarter

BASEL, Switzerland — Second quarter net sales for Novartis rose 12% from the previous year, according to an earnings release from the company. The rise was attributed to growth in all the company’s divisions.

Sales in the pharmaceutical division increased 12%, to $5.13 billion, compared with the second quarter of 2004. The ophthalmics division posted net sales of $221 million, a 12% increase from the previous year, led by sales of its age-related macular degeneration drug Visudyne (verteporfin for injection). Visudyne had worldwide sales of $129 million, an increase of 18% from $109 million in the second quarter of 2004.

“Visudyne sales grew in many key markets worldwide, with sales outside the U.S. up 31%,” the company said in the release. “In the U.S., sales declined slightly due to new competition.”

Sales in Novartis’ Consumer Health division also increased, to $575 million during the first half of the year. The company attributed some of the growth to the launch of its CIBA Vision O2Optix contact lenses.

Other developments during the second quarter included the release of good results from another AMD drug, Lucentis (ranibizumab). The drug met its primary efficacy endpoint of maintaining vision in people with wet AMD, Novartis noted. Detailed results of the study will be discussed at next week’s American Society of Retina Specialists conference, the company said.