MARCY L'ETOILE, France, July 20 /PRNewswire/ -- bioMerieux, a global leader in the field of in vitro diagnostics, today announced its first-half 2005 sales.
Net sales for the six months that ended 30 June 2005 amounted to euro 475 million, up a like-for-like 4% from the euro 460 million reported in first- half 2004. At current exchange rates, sales were up 3.3% for the period.
Like-for-like sales, which were stable in the first quarter (up 0.2%), rose sharply in the second three months, gaining 7.8% on the good performance reported in Europe, the Asia-Pacific Region and Latin America.
- Geographically, sales were up across all regional markets: % Change % Change excluding excluding In millions H1 H1 In currency Q2 Q2 In currency of euros 2005 2004* euros effect 2005 2004* euros effect Europe(1) 279.8 266.2 +5.1% +4.7% 144.5 132.9 +8.7% +8.3% North America 117.9 120.3 -1.9% +2.0% 61.2 60.5 +1.1% +5.0% Asia- 48.5 46.7 +3.9% +5.2% 26.3 24.1 +9.2% +10.2% Pacific(2) Latin America 28.8 26.7 +7.8% +4.7% 15.4 13.1 +17.8% +11.5% TOTAL 475.0 459.9 +3.3% +4.0% 247.4 230.6 +7.3% +7.8% *Adjusted to International Financial Reporting Standards (1) Including the Middle East and Africa (2) Including India, formerly reported with Latin America - In the Europe-Middle East-Africa region, which accounted for 59% of consolidated business, sales at constant exchange rates rose 8.3% in the second quarter, to end the half year up 4.7%. - Growth was led by strong sales reported in the bacteriology and molecular biology segments, due in particular to the successful market launch of the VITEK(R)2 Compact system across the region. France, which represented 32% of regional sales, saw sales increase by 5.1% in the second quarter, for a 3.7% gain over the half year. Germany, Spain and the UK (where sales rose 15% in the second quarter) also pursued their expansion, while Turkey enjoyed an especially fast 56% upsurge in sales. - In North America (25% of the consolidated total), sales rose by 2% over the six months, excluding the currency effect. The improvement reflected a 5.0% increase in the second quarter, when industrial applications returned to more satisfactory growth after the negative impact of prior-year comparatives in the first quarter. In clinical applications, the BacT/Alert(R) blood culture range and the VIDAS(R) range enjoyed growth of respectively 15% and 13%. The VITEK(R)2 Compact automated system was introduced in the United States in June at the 2005 American Society for Microbiology (ASM) General Meeting. However, sales growth is still being held back by the decline in demand for non- strategic lines, as well as for coagulation products, where competition remains aggressive. - Sales in the Asia-Pacific region (10% of the consolidated total) rose by 5.2% at constant exchange rates over the six months. In Japan, sales increased a vigorous 7%, primarily on the contribution from clinical bacteriology and industrial applications. In China, the more than 130 instruments sold under the tender awarded early in the year will be invoiced only in the second half. - Sales in Latin America (6% of the consolidated total) returned to double-digit growth in the second quarter, driving a 4.7% increase over the first six months of the year. Argentina continued to enjoy very strong growth, with sales gaining 32%. In Brazil, which accounted for 35% of regional business, sales were down on the prior-year period, reflecting the fact that the molecular biology tender for monitoring HIV viral load was not renewed under the same terms as in first-half 2004. - In terms of applications, the clinical segment rose by 4.1% during the first half and the industrial segment by 3.7%, both at constant exchange rates. % Change % Change excluding excluding In millions H1 H1 In currency Q2 Q2 In currency of euros 2005 2004* euros effect 2005 2004* euros effect Clinical 415.2 401.7 +3.4% +4.1% 215.9 202.1 +6.8% +7.3% applications Industrial applications 59.8 58.2 +2.7% +3.7% 31.5 28.5 +10.6% +11.6% TOTAL 475.0 459.9 +3.3% +4.0% 247.4 230.6 +7.3% +7.8% *Adjusted to International Financial Reporting Standards - In the clinical segment, bacteriology continued to benefit in the second quarter from the launch of the VITEK(R)2 Compact and a good performance in the BacT/Alert(R) range. The VIDAS(R) immunoassays line continued to expand with value-added tests in the Physician Office Labs segment in the United States and Germany, as well as in the Emergency Room segment. However, sales of routine tests were slower ahead of the launch of VIDIA(R). In molecular biology, the first half was shaped by the introduction of the easyMAG(R) system. Coagulation sales were hurt by aggressive competition. - In industrial applications, sales returned to firm growth in the second quarter, thanks in particular to bacteriological culture media and the VITEK(R)2 Compact range. Growth for the full six months, however, remained dampened by the decline in sales of blood culture instruments in the United States from the exceptionally high levels recorded in first-quarter 2004.
The Company is maintaining its objective of full-year 2005 net sales growth on a par with 2004 at constant exchange rates.
"We're satisfied with our sales growth in the first half of 2005," said Benoit Adelus, Executive Vice-President. "While flat in the first quarter, sales recovered momentum in the second three months. Overall, first-half growth was in line with our forecasts and we hope to meet our ambitious targets for the second half."
Forthcoming events 26 September 2005: First-half 2005 earnings released 20 October 2005: Third-quarter 2005 sales released About bioMerieux
bioMerieux is a leading international diagnostics group that specializes in the field of in vitro diagnostics for clinical and industrial applications. bioMerieux designs, develops, manufactures and markets systems (i.e. reagents, instruments and software) used in:
Clinical applications: the diagnosis of infectious diseases such as hepatitis, HIV, tuberculosis and respiratory illnesses, as well as pathologies such as certain cardiovascular diseases and certain cancers, based on the analysis of biological samples (such as blood, saliva or urine); and
Industrial applications: the microbiological analysis of food, environments (such as water and air), surfaces and pharmaceutical and cosmetic products, based on product or environmental samples.
bioMerieux is listed on the Eurolist by Euronext (Paris) .
bioMerieuxCONTACT: Investor Relations, Dominique Takizawa or Herve Laurent, +33 4 7887 22 37, or investor.relations@eu.biomerieux.com , or Media Relations,Christelle Chabert, + 33 4 78 87 52 01, orchristelle.chabert@eu.biomerieux.com , all of bioMerieux; or Nancy Levainof LT Value, +33 1 55 27 15 88, or nancy.levain@ltvalue.com ; or TiphaineHecketsweiler of Image Sept, + 33 1 53 70 74 59, orthecketsweiler@image7.fr
