Hutchison China Meditech Limited
17 July 2006
For Immediate Release
Hutchison China MediTech Limited ('Chi-Med') (AIM: HCM)
Trading Update
Hutchison China MediTech Limited ('Chi-Med') today issues a trading update
reporting that revenues for the first six months of 2006 are estimated at US$ 32
million, an increase of 86% versus the US$ 17 million the same period in 2005.
Full interim results for the six months ended 30 June 2006 are expected in
August.
China Healthcare Business
The sales of Hutchison Whampoa Guangzhou Baiyunshan Chinese Medicine Company
Limited ('Hutchison Baiyunshan') have grown more rapidly than expected in 2006
driven by demand for Ban Lan Gen granules, an OTC anti-viral, which has become
increasingly popular due to consumer concerns over avian flu as well as a
particularly severe flu season in South China. Hutchison Baiyunshan has also
benefitted from strong 2006 sales of Fu Fang Dan Shen tablets for angina as
distribution in secondary towns and rural China deepens and highly effective
public relations and marketing programmes have driven consumption.
Shanghai Hutchison Pharmaceuticals Limited ('Shanghai Hutchison
Pharmaceuticals') is maintaining sales versus 2005 despite two recent State Food
and Drug Administration ('SFDA') policy shifts that are expected to negatively
impact operations in the short-term. Firstly, the China SFDA recently began to
limit the sale of Shanghai Hutchison Pharmaceuticals' third largest product
Sheng Mai injection, an immune-modulator, to emergency use only. Secondly,
China's Central Government recently announced an all out ban on the use of
hospital medical representatives, thereby leading all ethical drug firms to
re-consider their commercial strategy. Fortunately, Shanghai Hutchison
Pharmaceuticals is adapting fast and the performance of its top two products
She Xiang Bao Xin pills, for heart disease, and Dan Ning tablets, for
gallbladder inflammation, is well ahead of 2005.
Hutchison Healthcare Limited ('Hutchison Healthcare') has had a disappointing
peak examination season on Nao Ling Tong capsules ('NLT'), the memory
supplement. After sales growth of 78% and 64% on NLT in 2004 and 2005,
Hutchison Healthcare's rapid expansion has led to diluted executional
effectiveness in NLT's schools-focused marketing programme and ultimately has
led to flat NLT sales in 2006. Hutchison Healthcare will launch two important
new initiatives behind the NLT brand and schools channel in the second half of
2006.
During the first half of 2006 the Chi-Med Management Team has continued in the
identification, approach, and negotiation of M&A deals on target healthcare
companies in China to broaden our operations in the fast growth industry.
Discussions are currently underway with several targets, some of which are
large-scale.
Drug Research & Development Business
Hutchison MediPharma Limited ('Hutchison MediPharma') has evolved during the
past two years from a botanical drug focused company into a highly sophisticated
and productive single molecular entity discovery operation.
During the first six months of 2006, Hutchison MediPharma continued to build new
in vitro assay platforms (to a total of 42) and in vivo models (a total of 58)
in the oncology and auto-immune areas. Hutchison MediPharma's 82-person
research team performed thousands of assays in screening substances, most of
which were single entities either synthesized or isolated from botanical and
Traditional Chinese Medicine sources by Hutchison MediPharma. This screening
identified over 150 hits, which in turn has led to four lead candidates and five
qualified hits in the fields of oncology and auto-immune diseases.
On the development side, Hutchison MediPharma is progressing well. Clinical
trials on HMPL-002, a cancer product, in the United States (head & neck cancer)
and China (non-small cell lung cancer) progress to plan. As recently announced,
the US Food and Drug Administration has allowed Hutchison MediPharma to amend
the HMPL-002 protocol to include its use in combination with platinum-based
chemoradiotherapy versus the previous plan of radiotherapy alone.
Clinical trials on HMPL-004, an inflammatory bowel disease product, in the
United States (Crohn's disease) and China (ulcerative colitis) are ahead of
recruitment targets with lower than anticipated dropout rates.
Consumer Products Business
Sen Medicine Company Limited ('Sen') sales are on track to increase over
three-fold in 2006 compared to the same period in 2005 and same store sales (for
stores open more than one year) increased 21% during the first half of 2006
compared to the same period in 2005. The May 2006 launch of a range of high-end
Sen skin care products has been well received and represents a good opportunity
to broaden distribution to third party retailers.
End
Enquiries
Chi-Med
Christian Hogg, CEO
Telephone: +852-2121-8200
www.Chi-Med.com
Citigate Dewe Rogerson
Telephone: +44 (0)20 7638 9571
Anthony Carlisle (Mobile: 07973 611 888)
Chris Gardner (Mobile: 07903 737 649)
About Chi-Med
Chi-Med is the holding company of a pharmaceutical and healthcare group based
primarily in China and is listed on the Alternative Investment Market of the
London Stock Exchange plc.
Chi-Med is majority owned by Hutchison Whampoa Limited, an international
corporation listed on the Main Board of The Stock Exchange of Hong Kong Limited.
This information is provided by RNS
The company news service from the London Stock Exchange
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