King Pharma Trounces Estimates

King Pharmaceuticals

(KG)

reported a big increase in second-quarter revenue, as sales of branded drugs such as Altace and Skelaxin were sharply higher compared with a year ago.

Revenue for the quarter ended June 30 increased 68% to $462.9 million from $275.6 million last year. King reported net income of $20.5 million, or 8 cents a share, compared with a loss of $62.9 million, or 26 cents a share, in the prior year.

Excluding items, King earned $106.7 million, or 44 cents a share. The Bristol, Tenn., pharmaceutical company recorded a second-quarter charge of $86.2 million, mainly for intangible asset impairment costs related to Sonata.

Shares of King were moving higher on the results, adding $1.41, or 13%, to $12.35 in premarket trading.

King's results easily surpassed Wall Street's estimates. Analysts surveyed by Thomson First Call were expecting a profit of 22 cents and revenue of $392.5 million in the quarter.

Net revenue from branded pharmaceuticals totaled $400.3 million during the second quarter, up 82% from last year.

Altace sales more than doubled from last year to $144.2 million. Sales of Skelaxin climbed 71% to $86.8 million, and sales of Thrombin-JMI reached $52.9 million, up 67% from the comparable quarter in 2004.

King had been planning to merge with

Mylan Laboratories

(MYL) - Get Report

before that deal was called off earlier this year.