REUTERS - Botox-maker Allergan Plc reported a higher-than-expected quarterly profit on Tuesday, and raised its 2017 revenue forecast to reflect its $2.48 billion acquisition of Zeltiq Aesthetics.
Shares of the Dublin-based company, which also posted first-quarter revenue that edged past estimates, inched up 1.2 percent in premarket trading.
Higher demand for its facial aesthetics, eye care and newer products such as Vraylar, as well as the acquisition of regenerative medicine company LifeCell, more than offset declining sales of older drugs in the quarter.
Led by dealmaking Chief Executive Brent Saunders and armed with its top-selling Botox drug, known for smoothing wrinkles, Allergan had a busy 2016, announcing at least a dozen deals.
In February this year, Allergan agreed to buy Zeltiq, to gain access to a device which uses cooling to kill fat cells, adding to its line-up of aesthetic products that are not dependent on reimbursement for sales.
Excluding items, Allergan earned $3.35 per share, beating the average analyst estimate by 5 cents, according to Thomson Reuters I/B/E/S.
The company also raised its net revenue forecast to $15.8 billion-$16 billion, from $15.5 billion-$15.8 billion.
"It adds another beat and raise result to a grind higher story we think is all about execution," as the company moves closer to key data readouts, RBC Capital's Randall Stanicky said.
Net loss attributable to ordinary shareholders was $2.63 billion, or $7.86 per share, in the first quarter ended March 31, compared with a profit of $186.1 million, or 47 cents per share, a year earlier.
The company reported a quarterly loss mainly due to amortization, research and development related charges and in-process research and development impairments.
Amortization expenses from continuing operations was $1.74 billion, compared with $1.59 billion in the year-ago quarter.
Net revenue rose about 5 percent to $3.57 billion, just ahead of the average analyst estimate of $3.54 billion.
Allergan's shares were up at $244.95 before the bell. Up to Monday's close, shares have risen about 15 percent since the start of the year.
(Reporting by Natalie Grover in Bengaluru; Editing by Martina D'Couto)
(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)