Dechra's performance meets expectations

Dechra, which employs more than 200 people in Skipton, North Yorkshire, said group revenue for the last six months of 2009 was around 6.5 per cent ahead of the same period last year.

Overall revenue from the pharmaceutical division was around 12.6 per cent higher than the equivalent period in 2008.

The lead pharmaceutical product, Vetoryl, continued to show good growth in all markets including sales for the six months of $2.5m in the US.

The company's diets range, branded Specific, showed solid growth across Europe.

Dales Pharmaceuticals, the company's manufacturing business, made good progress over the last six months of 2009, increasing its revenue from third party customers.

Revenue from the services division for the six months ended December 31 2009 was 4.6 per cent up on the same period in the previous year, with the growth rate being higher in the second quarter.

The statement added: "Trading in the first half of the financial year has been in line with management's expectations. Despite continuing economic uncertainty, there are indications of volume growth starting to return to the market.

"This growth, together with the continued penetration of our own branded products, impending new product launches in the EU and a robust development pipeline, enables the board to look to the future with optimism."