Sirtex reports 4Q sales growth of 23%

Sirtex Medical Limited (ASX:SRX) today said sales of SIR-Spheres® microspheres, it’s targeted radioactive treatment for inoperable liver cancer, grew 23% in the fourth quarter of the 2011 Financial Year compared with the same quarter last year. Full year dose sales grew 19.3% compared to a 14% growth the year before.

Dose sales are a key performance measure and Sirtex has now reported 28 consecutive quarters of positive dose sales growth.

Sirtex Chief Executive Gilman Wong said, “This unbroken line of steady growth reflects the growing awareness and confidence among the international medical community about the positive clinical outcomes for patients treated with SIR-Spheres® microspheres. The results demonstrate our strategies to grow the business are working and we are very encouraged that more people are able to benefit from this potentially life improving therapy.”

Compared to the previous corresponding periods US sales grew 30.9% for the quarter and 19.3% for the year, Europe grew 17.7% for the quarter and 24.5% for the full year whilst Asia Pacific sales declined 5.4% in the quarter but grew 3.1% for the year. The Asia Pacific result reflects the transition following the appointment of a new Regional Head and a reconfiguration of Asian sales efforts in key markets to ensure long-term growth.

Current sales of SIR-Spheres® microspheres represent less than 1% of the addressable global market of people diagnosed annually worldwide with liver cancer. Approximately 20,000 doses of SIR-Spheres® microspheres have now been supplied to treat liver cancer patients at more than 400 medical centres worldwide to date.