Big Quarter From Genentech

Updated from 5:44 p.m. EDT

Genentech(DNA Quote - Cramer on DNA - Stock Picks) beat revenue and earnings estimates for the third quarter and said sales from two of its biggest drugs rose at least 70% from a year ago.

The biotech giant's revenue was $1.75 billion, up 46% from the third quarter of 2004. On average, analysts expected $1.63 billion. Total product sales were $1.45 billion.

Among its cancer drugs, the company reported that U.S. Avastin sales were up 78% to $325.2 million. Domestic Herceptin sales increased 70% to $215.1 million, while U.S. sales of Tarceva, launched last November, totaled $73.2 million. Rituxan, used to treat cancer of the lymph nodes, saw U.S. sales rise 16% to $456.2 million.

The South San Francisco, Calif., company earned 33 cents a share, up 57% from 21 cents in the year-ago quarter. Excluding certain costs, the company earned 35 cents a share in the third quarter, 5 cents better than analysts anticipated.

Genentech shares rose $4.31, or 5.3%, to $85.81 in after-hours trading Monday.

For all of 2005, Genentech is currently expecting year-over-year non-GAAP earnings per share growth of around 50%. Based on a non-GAAP profit of 83 cents a share for 2004, that forecast would imply earnings of about $1.25 a share this year, before any items.

On a conference call, Genentech noted that it may run the risk of eventually becoming a victim of its own achievements. The company says that the positive revenue and earnings news could create the belief that this caliber of performance will continue, and the "success of Avastin and Herceptin may create unrealistic expectations."

Regarding the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office's re-examination of the company's Cabilly patent, Genentech said it could take from two to 12 months to hear from the office.

Overall pretax income related to the patent was about $20 million, or 1 cent a share, for the quarter. Genentech said its third-quarter Cabilly-related income represents roughly one-quarter of the full year's expected results.