Johnson & Johnson today reported worldwide pharmaceutical sales of $22.1 billion for the full year 2004, an increase of 13.4 percent. Domestic sales of pharmaceuticals increased 12.7 percent.
The company, which achieved total worldwide sales of  $47.3 billion last year (a 13.1 percent increase), attributed its strong pharmaceutical sales growth to the strong performances of Risperdal and Risperdal Consta, an antipsychotic medication. Risperdal, J&J’s second-largest drug, achieved sales of roughly $1.5 billion in the U.S. last year, a gain of 18 percent.
Sales of Topamax, an antiepileptic and a treatment for the prevention of migraine headaches, rose 36 percent in the U.S. last year, while Remicade, a treatment for rheumatoid arthritis, achieved a 23 percent sales increase in the U.S.
Sales of Duragesic, a transdermal patch for chronic pain, rose 30 percent in the U.S.
“Each of our business segments — pharmaceuticals, medical devices and diagnostics, and consumer products — made important contributions to yet another strong year for Johnson & Johnson,” chairman and chief executive William Weldon said in a statement.
J&J’s net earnings in 2004 totaled $8.5 billion, increases of 18.2 percent.
J&J recently submitted new drug applications to the FDA for dapoxetine hydrochloride, a new treatment for premature ejaculation, and for Zarnestra (tipifarnib) for the treatment of elderly patients with newly diagnosed poor-risk acute myeloid leukemia.