J&J REPORTS STRONG PHARMACEUTICAL SALES IN 2006

Strong pharmaceutical sales helped Johnson & Johnson (J&J) reach a 3.5 percent increase in fourth quarter earnings, even after the major cost of acquiring Pfizer Consumer Healthcare, the company announced.

The company's net earnings for the fourth quarter of 2006 were $2.2 billion, including an after-tax charge of $217 million related to purchasing Pfizer's division, J&J announced Jan. 23.

High growth in sales of drugs such as antipsychotic medication Risperdal and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder treatment Concerta gave J&J record sales in the fourth quarter of 2006. J&J's fourth quarter sales reached $13.7 billion, up 8.5 percent from the fourth quarter of 2005, the company said.

J&J had worldwide pharmaceutical sales of $23.3 billion over the year, up 4.2 percent from 2005. Both domestic and international pharmaceutical sales increased 4.2 percent in 2006, the company added.

Some drugs with large sales growth included schizophrenia treatment Risperdal and migraine treatment Topamax, J&J said. Risperdal had an 18 percent rise in sales in 2006, reaching $4.2 billion, and Topamax sales rose 21 percent to $2 billion. Both drugs are in the No. 2 positions in their markets, according to J&J.