UCB first nine months sales rise 9%

Belgium’s largest pharma company UCB (Euronext Brussels: UCB) has posted financials, reporting that revenue for the first nine months of 2017 came in at 3.3 billion euros ($$3.89 billion), an increase of 9% at actual and at constant exchange rates (CER). Adjusted by product divestitures in 2016, the revenue growth was 14%.

UCB did not provide any earnings figures for the nine months, but on the basis of a strong performance it now expects 2017 full-year revenue to reach between 4.4and 4.5 billion euros; recurring earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization (EBITDA) should increase to 1.25-1.35 billion euros. Core earnings per share are expected in the range of 4.10-4.50 euros based on an expected average of 188 million shares outstanding.

In terms of product revenues, sales of Cimzia (certolizumab) increased 10% to 1 billion euros, while revenue from Vimpat (lacosamide) leapt 20% to 707 million euros ($834 million). Sales of Keppra (levetiracetam) rose 13% to 607 million euros, with revenue from Neupro (rotigotine) growing 6% to 230 million euros and that from Briviact (brivaracetam) reached 57 million euros compared with 11 million euros in the like 2016 period.