BioMerieux reports continued growth in first half of 2012

BioMerieux has reported positive business growth in the first half of 2012, with net sales for the period coming to 750 million euros (587.53 million pounds).

This was up from 673 million euros in the corresponding period of 2011, representing a rise of 8.7 percent in constant currency terms, while second-quarter sales rose to 388 million euros thanks to a major improvement in Asia-Pacific revenues.

According to the firm, the strong performance seen in emerging markets is indicative of the advantages of BioMerieux's balanced geographic footprint.

Top-performing operations include the Full Microbiology Lab Automation range and the company's industrial applications division, with the July 2011 acquisition of AES Laboratoire aiding this growth.

Jean-Luc Belingard, chairman and chief executive officer at BioMerieux, said: "In the current economic environment, our sales growth objective for 2012 remains unchanged."

In May 2012, the company expanded its product range with the launch of a new Vidas hepatitis C diagnostic test.