Novartis reports strong double-digit growth in sales and income, gaining market share in first half of 2004
Operating income expands faster than sales
Key figures
First-half Group sales reach USD 13.6 billion, up 14% (+9% lc), fueled by Pharmaceuticals growth of 17% (+11% lc) and Consumer Health increase of 9% (+4% lc)
Double-digit Pharmaceutical sales expansion driven by top primary care brands Diovan, Lotrel, Lamisil and Trileptal as well as specialty medicine products Gleevec/Glivec, Zometa, Femara and Visudyne
Consumer Health driven by solid OTC, Medical Nutrition and CIBA Vision performance
Operating income expands faster than sales, reaching USD 3.3 billion, as operating margin increases 0.6 percentage points due to excellent business performance and effective resource allocation
Net income surges 19% to USD 2.8 billion as EPS expands 21%