Japanese drugmaker Tanabe reported turnover up 3.5% to 45 billion yen ($396m) in the first quarter of fiscal 2007, on the back of solid growth by some of its core products in domestic market.

Operating income rose 2.7% to 9.9 billion yen in the quarter, helped by a 5% dip in selling, general and administrative expenses, including R&D costs, to 18.9 billion yen.

Pharmaceutical sales reached 42 billion yen, including a 4% increase in turnover from prescription products, which contributed 41 billion yen, with 1.5 billion yen coming from over-the-counter medicine sales.

Remicade (infliximab) for rheumatoid arthritis and other inflammatory indications added 4.6 billion yen to the tally, a rise of 69%, while spinocerebellar degeneration treatment Ceredist (taltirelin HCl) , contributed 4 billion yen, up 6.6%. Sales of blood pressure drugs Herbesser (diltiazem) and Tanatril (imidapril) were flat at 5 billion yen and 4 billion yen, respectively.

In contrast, combined income from the company's chemicals and food additives operations fell 1% to 3 billion yen.

The firm maintained its guidance for the year, forecasting full-year turnover of 172 billion yen (up 0.3%) and operating income of around 28 billion yen.