(Reuters) -Regeneron Pharmaceuticals Inc reported a 78% rise in first-quarter profit on Thursday, helped by a robust recovery in demand for its eye drug Eylea and continued strength in sales of its eczema drug Dupixent.
Sales of the company’s physician-administered eye treatment Eylea took a hit last year as patients postponed visits to doctor’s office due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
With gradual easing of lockdowns and ramping up of COVID-19 vaccinations, global sales of the drug rose 17% to $2.17 billion in the reported quarter.
Sales of Dupixent, which has been Regeneron’s main growth driver for several preceding quarters, rose 48% to $1.26 billion, helped in part by approval for additional indications.
Regeneron’s net profit rose to $1.12 billion, or $10.09 per share, in the quarter ended March 31, from $625 million, or $5.43 per share, a year earlier.
Sales rose to $2.53 billion from $1.83 billion.
(Reporting by Mrinalika Roy and Manojna Maddipatla in Bengaluru; Editing by Shounak Dasgupta)
