|
 Teva, the world's largest generic drugmaker and Israel's biggest company, earned $1.22 per share excluding one-time items in the quarter, up from $1.12 a year earlier.
Revenue rose 2 percent to $5.0 billion despite a 4 percent drop in
European revenue to $818 million. Results in central and eastern
Europe were affected by the mild winter, Teva said.
Teva was forecast to earn $1.21 a share excluding items on revenue of $5.1 billion, according to Thomson Reuters I/B/E/S.
The company maintained its full year 2014 earnings and revenue
forecast.
Global sales of its best-selling multiple sclerosis drug Copaxone, which accounts for about 20 percent of sales and 50 percent of profit, edged up 1 percent to $1.07 billion. The injectable drug faces competition from oral treatments as well as cheaper generics in the coming years.
To help it remain competitive, Teva launched a 40 mg version of
Copaxone that has to be injected only three times a week instead of
daily. As of April 18, this new version of Copaxone had a 10.5
percent U.S. market share in terms of total prescriptions. U.S.
market share for the two Copaxone products was 33.5 percent.
[to top of second column] |
"Our global generics business delivered increased profitability,
and our U.S. generics revenues were up 17 percent year-over-year,"
said Erez Vigodman, Teva's new chief executive.
"During 2014, we will deliver significant savings as part of our
cost-reduction program, accelerate the transformation of our
operations network, strengthen our global leadership in generics and
continue to increase confidence in Teva."
The company set a quarterly dividend of 1.21 shekels (34.7 cents) a share, unchanged from the fourth quarter.
(Reporting by Tova Cohen; editing by Steven Scheer)
[© 2014 Thomson Reuters. All rights
reserved.] Copyright 2014 Reuters. All rights reserved. This material may not be published,
broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. |
