GlaxoSmithKline end-quarter 2011 net rises over 18 per cent to Rs137 crore

GlaxoSmithKline Pharmaceuticals Ltd (GSK) has posted a net profit of Rs136.74 crore for the quarter ended 31 December 2011, against a net profit of Rs115.70 crore for the same period of the previous year – an 18.18 per cent increase year-on-year.

Total income of the company increased by 15.35 per cent to Rs577.60 crore during the quarter, from Rs500.72 crore during the similar quarter of the previous year, unaudited results released by the company showed.

During the quarter ended 31 December 2011, the company launched Synflorix, a vaccine against invasive pneumococcal disease, which is the leading cause of childhood mortality in India, the company said.

This infection can result in pneumonia, infection of the blood, middle-ear or bacterial meningitis, it added.

"Growth for the quarter was market competitive, driven by a revival in the anti-infective and mass markets segment," Hasit B Joshipura, managing director of the company, said.

"Our speciality business continued to register good growth aided by the launch of products from our global pipeline and branded generics. The vaccine business showed a high growth trajectory, with the company continuing to expand its vaccine portfolio,'' he added.