Acquisitions see half-year sales soar at Alliance Pharma

Specialist medicine maker Alliance Pharma today said it was enjoying an "outstanding year" as acquisitions helped its half-year sales soar 77% to £23.4 million.

The company buys drugs which are not big enough to interest generic drugmakers from Big Pharma firms when they fall out of patent.

Today it said auto-immune Deltacortril tablets and eczema treatment Hydromol were particularly good sellers, and drugs from the portfolio of Cambridge Laboratories, which Alliance bought in February, helped its pre-tax, half-year profit rocket 166% to £7.7 million.

Chairman Michael Gatenby said: "In uncertain times, our non-promoted portfolio... provides a continuing source of stability."