Pharmaceutical maker Eisai Co. said Tuesday that its group net profit rose 12.4 percent and its group operating profit increased 4.4 percent in fiscal 2002.
The firm attributed the figures to sales growth in the U.S., European and Asian markets, as well as solid domestic sales.
Group net profit rose to 41.03 billion yen, while operating profit surged to 75.86 billion yen.
Pretax profit meanwhile remained almost flat, at 76.14 billion yen, due to foreign exchange losses, Eisai said.
Sales increased 8.1 percent to 466.61 billion yen, with sales of the company's anti-ulcer drug, Aciphex, jumping 18.9 percent to 117.40 billion yen.
Sales of Aricept, a drug used to treat Alzheimer's disease, surged 20.4 percent to 115.30 billion yen, the firm said.
North American sales rose 14.3 percent on a year-on-year basis to 179.54 billion yen, while European sales surged 29.8 percent to 27.32 billion yen and Asian sales jumped 30 percent to 9.14 billion yen.
Domestic sales rose 1.6 percent to 250.62 billion yen, the firm said.
Net profit per share stood at 141.16 yen, up from 123.50 yen the previous year.