With the company providing so much information, there are a lot of possible interpretations of whether Sanofi-Aventis
Sales for the second quarter rose 6.5% on a reported basis and 10.1% on a "comparable" basis that adjusts for the Aventis merger and foreign currency effects. Margins were quite solid once again: Gross margin improved to nearly 79%, and operating margin climbed to 33.7%. Adjusted net income rose by 26%.
The company's top drugs led the way again, with the top 15 compounds bringing revenue growth of 16.2% in the quarter and making up more than 60% of the company's total. Market-leading drugs like Lovenox, Plavix, and Lantus were all quite strong and posted double-digit growth. The vaccine business also had a good quarter, as a new meningitis/pneumonia vaccine helped push sales up more than 13%.
Sanofi-Aventis generated more than $3.5 billion in free cash flow (before dividends) and has managed to repay close to $2 billion in debt so far this year. Based on the strong results, management raised earnings growth guidance for this year to at least 20%.
The clinical side of the business was less stellar. Sanofi-Aventis announced that it was dropping two compounds that were in phase 2-b testing (pranalcasan for arthritis and osanetant for schizophrenia). The company also announced mixed data from a phase 3 depression trial (the European study showed decent efficacy, but the North American study did not), and it's quite possible that another phase 3 study may be required before approval.
On a more positive note, the company had better success in trials studying insomnia, smoking cessation, and cancer. Investors should also remember that Sanofi-Aventis is awaiting Food and Drug Administration approval for Acomplia for obesity and smoking; Exubera, which is inhaled insulin, with Pfizer
These late-stage drugs (as well as the 35 compounds in phases 2b or 3 testing) will be important. Sanofi-Aventis faces the threat of losing patent protection for Lovenox and Plavix, and should that happen, it would need these new drugs to maintain growth.
I won't make the case that Sanofi-Aventis is dirt-cheap or significantly undervalued. Stocks like Merck
For more healthy pharmaceutical Takes:
- Vioxx Brings the Pain
- Glaxo Keeps It Going
- Bristol-Myers' Road to Better Health
- Waiting for Sanofi's Next Act
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Fool contributor Stephen Simpson owns shares of Sanofi-Aventis. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.