Dutch drug maker Novo Nordisk A/S (NVO) posted higher first-quarter net profit of 5.98 billion Danish kroner, or 10.98 Danish kroner a share, compared with 4.66 billion Danish kroner, or 8.32 Danish kroner a share a year before. Quarterly operating profit rose by 18% to 7.56 billion Danish kroner, from the prior year's 6.39 billion Danish kroner, and was up 21% on a local currencies basis.
Three-month sales advanced by 13% year-over-year to 19.98 billion Danish kroner, from 17.75 billion Danish kroner, driven by Victoza, NovoRapid and Levemir. In local currencies, sales went up 14%.
For 2013, sales growth, in local currencies, is now expected to be 9-11%, versus its prior range of 8-11%, whereas operating profit growth measured in local currencies is still expected to be around 10%.
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