NEW YORK (GenomeWeb) – BioMérieux said today that its first quarter revenues rose 4 percent year over year, driven by a moderate flu season and strong sales momentum in the Asia-Pacific region.
For the three months ended March 31, the company reported revenues of €632.5 million ($707.8 million), up from €587 million in the prior-year period. At constant exchange rates and scope of consolidation, revenues grew 8 percent year over year.
Revenues for the clinical applications business, which includes microbiology, molecular biology, and immunoassays, rose 4 percent to €525.9 million from €486.6 million in Q1 2018.
Microbiology also rose 6 percent to €235.9 million from €222.7 million a year ago. BioMérieux attributed its microbiology results to momentum in sales of the BacT/Alert blood culture and Vitek lines, particularly in the Asia-Pacific region.
Molecular biology revenues increased 17 percent to €172.8 million from €148.2 million in the prior-year period. The firm noted that sales of the BioFire FilmArray grew around 13 percent to more than €157 million and an installed base of 8,900 worldwide.
Immunoassays contributed €109.1 million in Q1, up 1 percent from €107.9 million in Q1 2018. The firm said that the decrease was driven by lower sales of the Vidas line due to price pressure in North America and lower sales volumes in Europe.
Industrial applications revenues in Q1 grew 6 percent to €106.6 million from €100.8 million in Q1 2018, and the firm said recurring reagent revenue in the sector rose by 8 percent while equipment sales were down.
From a regional perspective, BioMérieux sales in the Americas were up 10 percent to €296.8 million from €270.6 million year over year. In the Europe, Middle East, and Africa region, sales were up approximately 1 percent to €223.5 million from €222.1 million, and in Asia-Pacific sales rose 19 percent to €112.2 million from €94.2 million.
In the quarter, BioMérieux acquired Philadelphia-based Invisible Sentinel, a developer and manufacturer of molecular diagnostic tools for detection of pathogens and spoilage in food and beverages for $75 million. The firm also announced a partnership with Baxter International to develop biomarkers for acute kidney injury.