Teva Pharmaceutical Industries yesterday said that fourth quarter sales of its multiple sclerosis offering, Copaxone (glatiramer acetate), reached $261 million dollars in the fourth quarter of 2004 – up 26% over the same period in 2003 [[17/02/04e]]. For the full-year, the firm says that the drug reached an all-time high of $936 million, an increase of 30% over 2003.

US sales in the three months rose 23% over the corresponding period last year to $175 million, and grew 26% for the full-year to $625 million. Teva says this makes it the market-leader in this region in terms of new prescriptions for the second half of 2004, and that it reached an all-time high market share of 32.6% in December. Outside the US, mainly in Europe, sales increased by 31% during the quarter to $86 million. For the entire year, sales outside the US climbed 38% to $311 million.

Teva plans to release its full year 2004 financial results on February 15.