COPENHAGEN, Aug 13 (Reuters) - Danish drugmaker H. Lundbeck
reported a slightly smaller-than-expected rise in operating
profits for the second quarter on Thursday and maintained its
full-year 2009 guidance.
Earnings before interest and tax (EBIT) rose to 719 million
Danish crowns ($136.4 million) in April-June from 365 million in
the same quarter last year.
The result missed an average forecast of 748 million in a
Reuters poll of 10 analysts whose EBIT estimates ranged from 563
million to 858 million crowns.
"With our achievements in the first half of the year, we are
now well under way to deliver on our financial expectations for
2009," Chief Executive Ulf Wiinberg said in the statement.
Lundbeck maintained its guidance for full-year 2009 EBIT of
2.8 billion to 3.0 billion crowns, EBITDA of 3.5 billion to 3.7
billion and revenues of between 13.1 billion and 13.6 billion
crowns.
Lundbeck gets most of its revenue from Cipralex, an
antidepressant sold in the United States as Lexapro. The patents
on Cipralex expire in major markets in 2012 to 2014 so the
company has been scrambling to replace it with new products.
