Germany's FMC repeats 2008 earnings forecasts

FRANKFURT, May 20 (Reuters) - Germany's Fresenius Medical Care (FMC) (FMEG.DE: Quote, Profile, Research, Stock Buzz) reaffirmed on Tuesday it expected revenue to rise to more than $10.4 billion and net profit to increase to $805-$825 million in 2008.

The world's largest dialysis care firm in the some $70 billion global dialysis market also repeated it expected to achieve more than $11.5 billion in revenue by 2010.

"We expect sustainable growth in earnings after tax to be in the low to mid-teens," FMC Chief Executive Ben Lipps said at a shareholders' meeting, referring to the company's 2010 target.

Lipps also said the company only treated about 11 percent of the world's patient population, giving it ample opportunities for growth.

"We expect to see sustainable global patient growth of 5-6 percent per year, with the greatest increases most likely coming from Asia-Pacific and Europe," he added. (Reporting by Mantik Kusjanto)