Johannesburg—South African pharmaceutical group Aspen Pharmacare reported a 22% increase in normalised earnings for the year ended June 30, supported by strong momentum in its commercial pharmaceuticals business.
Normalised headline earnings per share (NHEPS) increased to 801.5 cents, from 659.2 cents a year earlier. On a constant-exchange-rate basis, NHEPS rose 28%.
The company said its commercial pharmaceuticals unit remained the principal driver of growth. The division recorded 5% revenue growth to 25.4 billion rand, helped by strong demand for Eli Lilly’s Mounjaro in South Africa.
Aspen’s overall revenue was broadly flat at 34.9 billion rand, as gains in commercial pharmaceuticals offset weaker manufacturing sales following the expiry of an mRNA contract. Manufacturing revenue declined 10% to 9.5 billion rand, but its normalised EBITDA increased 21% to 828 million rand as efficiency improvements began to deliver benefits.
Aspen expects its manufacturing business to become the main engine of earnings growth in the coming financial year. The group is targeting normalised EBITDA of at least 9 billion rand in FY2027, compared with 7.7 billion rand in FY2026.
The company also expects around 1.2 billion rand in net interest savings, which it says should support substantial double-digit growth in normalised earnings per share.
Aspen is also preparing for a global rollout of its generic semaglutide portfolio, targeting markets including South Africa, parts of Latin America and the Middle East, subject to regulatory approvals.
The company declared a dividend of 232 cents per ordinary share, up from 211 cents previously.
Source: Reuters
Reporting: Nqobile Dludla
Editing: Louise Heavens & Kirsten Donovan
