Fresenius Kabi sees ‘excellent start’ to 2011

Fresenius Kabi has achieved a positive start to 2011, demonstrating strong sales and earnings growth, according to the Fresenius group's first-quarter fiscal report.

The business's sales rose by 20 percent year on year during the period, reaching a total of 960 million euros (865.83 million pounds), with earnings and income also exhibiting significant double-digit growth rates.

High demand from the North American market and successful product launches were highlighted as key drivers of growth, with the overall progress allowing the firm to raise its outlook for the full-year period.

Fresenius Kabi's success was indicative of the growth experienced by Fresenius as a whole, with group sales increasing by nine percent year-over-year to reach a total of four billion euros.

Ulf Mark Schneider, the company's chief executive officer, said this represents an "excellent start" to the year following its record-breaking performance in 2010.

Last year, the company's 12-month sales total came to 16 billion euros, with all financial targets for 2010 either met or exceeded.