Altana has reported record results with Altana Pharma achieving a 12 per cent growth in sales to 2.4 billion euros for 2005.

The company as a whole had a 10 per cent increase in sales hitting 3.3 billion euros.

Dr Nikolaus Schweickart, president and chief executive of Altana, said: "With its tenth record year in succession Altana further continued its impressive success story.

"The extraordinary dynamic development with a substantial double-digit growth in earnings of Altana Pharma on the one hand and the sustained high operating earnings level of Altana Chemie on the other are an excellent starting base for the strategic future development of the Altana."

Successes highlighted by the firm included the drug Pantoprazole (Pantozol/Protonix), the treatment of acid-induced gastrointestinal diseases, that hit sales worldwide of 2.8 billion euros, including sales from partners, and the firm's own sales of the drug climbed 12 per cent to 1.4 billion euros.

Alvesco, the inhaled corticosteroid, achieved sales of 8 million euros in its first year after launching, at the low end of the company's expectations.

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