Germany's Bayer says top drug sales rise in Q1

FRANKFURT (Reuters) - Rising sales of Bayer's (BAYG.DE) top drugs for treatment of multiple sclerosis and for contraception helped boost its first-quarter results, the German drugs and chemicals firm said on Tuesday.

Bayer was detailing its quarterly results after it reported forecast-beating numbers last month, with earnings before interest, taxes and special items rising 17 percent to 1.4 billion euros ($1.9 billion) in the quarter.

Bayer said sales of its multiple-sclerosis drug Betaseron rose 5.2 percent to 244 million euros in the first quarter and sales of contraceptive drug Yasmin jumped 33 percent to 240 million euros.

Betaseron, Bayer's top-selling drug, competes with rival drugs like Merck KGaA's (MRCG.DE) Rebif and Biogen's (BIIB.O) Avonex, which had higher sales in certain markets.

Bayer, which acquired the drug through its takeover of rival Schering last year, expected Betaseron sales to grow by a high single-digit to low double-digit percentage rate this year.

Sales of cancer drug Nexavar rose to 47 million euros from 20 million euros a year earlier.

Bayer hoped that Nexavar, which had sales of 130 million euros last year, could reach 1 billion euros in sales if it gets approvals for treatment for various cancer indications. The drug is currently approved to treat kidney cancer.

"Our new cancer drug, Nexavar, first launched in December 2005, performed very well in the market," Bayer said.