Fourth quarter 2007 Life Science Index sales rose 14.4% to $2,419 million, while operating profit jumped 29.8% to $445 million. Operating margins improved 220 basis points to 18.4% of revenues. Year-over-year Life Science Index sales increased 12.5% to $8,651 million. Operating profit grew 23.2% to $1,357 million, and operating margins increased 140 basis points to 15.7% of sales.

Becton Dickinson and Company’s BD Biosciences unit reported a 17.5% increase in fiscal first quarter revenues to $273.7 million to account for 16.0% of company sales. Favorable currency transactions accounted for 6.0% of revenue growth. Cell Analysis and Discovery Labware sales grew 21.4% and 7.4% to make up 75% and 25% of Biosciences’ revenues, respectively. Sales to the US improved 7.5% to account for 37.7% of segment sales, while international sales gained 24.6% to represent 62.3%. Operating income jumped 40.0% to $78.7 million, primarily due to improved operating efficiencies and a change in product mix. Fiscal 2008 segment sales are forecasted to increase around 11%, including 2.3%–3.0% from favorable currency transactions.

Fourth-quarter sales for Biotage AB fell 1.5% to SEK 134.5 million ($21.0 million = SEK 6.42 = $1) from SEK 136.6 million ($19.2 million = SEK 7.10 = $1) for a 3.8% decline in reported dollars (see page 12). At constant exchange rates and excluding the discontinued Chemical Development (Chem Dev), sales would have risen 8%. Operating profits jumped 63.5% to SEK 15.3 million ($2.4 million) due to lower operational costs. Discovery Chemistry sales fell 3.1% to SEK 107.4 ($16.7 million), but grew 8% on a currency-neutral basis and, excluding Chem Dev. Segment operating profits, remained unchanged at SEK 11.2 million ($1.7 million). Operating margins improved 20 basis points to 10.4% of sales. Gross margins fell 170 basis points due to product mix and exchange rates. Sales to Europe and Rest of the World grew 300 basis points and 200 basis points to account for 47% and 15% of segment sales, respectively, while US sales fell 500 basis points. Fourth-quarter Biosystems sales grew 5% to SEK 27.1 million ($4.2 million) for 10% growth on a currency-neutral basis due to strong system sales. Operating profit climbed 31.1% to SEK 8.0 million ($1.2 million), leading operating margins 570 basis points higher to 29.4% of sales. Gross margins fell 720 basis points due to geographical mix and unfavorable exchange rates. Sales to the US fell 11 percentage points to 39% of segment sales, while sales to Europe and the Rest of World improved 800 basis points and 300 basis points to 49% and 12%, respectively.

Year-end Biotage AB sales fell 4.4% to SEK 496.4 million ($73.4 million = SEK 6.76= $1) from SEK 519.5 million ($70.4 million = SEK 7.38 = $1) for a 3% decline on a currency-neutral basis and excluding Chem Dev products (see page 12). Operating profits jumped 62.8% to SEK 15.3 million ($2.3 million), while operating margins improved 450 basis points to 11.4% of sales, and gross margins remained constant at 61.5%. Full-year Discovery Chemistry sales fell 7.5% to SEK 397.6 ($58.8 million), but operating profits grew 12.3% to SEK 32.8 million ($4.9 million), leading operating margins up 150 basis points to 8.3% of segment sales. Biosystems revenue improved 10.4% to SEK 98.8 million ($14.6 million), and operating profits soared 138% to SEK 26.3 million, leading operating margins up over 14 percentage points to 26.5% of segment sales.

Caliper Life Sciences’ fourth-quarter revenues grew 15.9% to $40.3 million (see page 12), led by a 44% increase in imaging system sales and by a 26% increase in microfluidics sales. Product revenue climbed 18.7% to $28.2 million, and service revenue improved 17.6% to $9.5 million, while licenses fees and contract revenue declined 11.2% to $2.6 million. Adjusted operating results narrowed to a loss of $3.1 million compared to a loss of $4.8 million, and gross margins increased 112 basis points to 45.4% of sales. Year-end revenues jumped 30.4% to $140.7 million, while the adjusted operating loss was cut by nearly two thirds to $13.7 million, and gross margins improved over 300 basis points to 47.0% of sales. Caliper forecasts first quarter revenues to grow around 5.4% to $26.5–$29.5 million and year-end revenues to grow approximately 12% to $142–$148 million.

Genetix’s year-end revenues grew 47.7% to £22.9 million ($45.8 million = £0.50 = $1) from £15.5 million ($28.7 million = £0.54 = $1), including £9.9 million ($19.8 million) from Applied Imaging (see IBO 11/30/06) (see page 12). Instrument sales rose 41% to make up 74% of sales, led by demand for cell biology products, which grew 44% to £6.5 million ($13.0 million). Consumables and services sales improved 71% to represent 26% of sales due to Applied Imaging and sales of cell biology reagents. Total sales to the US, Europe and Rest of the World improved 55%, 40% and 50% to account for 48%, 40% and 12% of sales, respectively. Excluding the acquisition, sales to the Rest of World grew 18%, while sales to US and Europe fell 4% and 9%, respectively. Adjusted operating profit grew 37.8% to £3.0 million ($6.0 million) from £2.2 million ($4.0 million), and gross margins improved 350 basis points to 60.1% of sales, benefiting from improved product mix.

Sequenom’s fourth-quarter revenues rose 40.9% to $11.1 million. Consumable sales grew 22.0% to $4.6 million, led by strong sales of MassARRAY systems, while Other product–related revenue jumped 40.5% to $5.5 million. Revenue from Services nearly doubled to $0.9 million. Adjusted operating loss increased by 30% to $7.4 million due to product development expenses, as well as sales and marketing costs. Full-year revenues rose 43.9% to $41.0 million, including consumable, other product–related and service revenues of $16.5 million, $20.8 million and $3.5 million, which grew 27.8%, 47.5% and 244.5%, respectively. For the year, the company sold 55 MassARRAY systems, compared to 34 last year. Operating loss for the year widened by over 25% to $22.5 million due to higher expenditures. Total gross margins declined 238 basis points to 55.9% of sales, but system and consumable gross margins improved to 50% and 70% of sales, respectively. For 2008, the company anticipates revenues will rise 30%–37% to $53–$56 million.

For the year, Tecan’s revenues grew 2.1% to CHF 414.4 million ($345.3 million = CHF 1.20 = $1) from CHF 405.9 million ($324.7 million = CHF 1.25 = $1), while operating profit jumped 18.6% to CHF 60.3 million ($50.2 million) (see page 12). Diagnostics sales grew 12.3% to account for 37.2% of sales, and Genomics/Proteomics revenue growth was flat to represent 29.2%, while Drug Discovery revenue declined 5.8% to make up 33.5%. European sales gained 1.8% to represent 56.7% of sales, and Asian sales jumped 50.5% to make up 13.6%, while sales to North American and “Others” declined 7.1% and 11.8% to account for 37.4% and 3.3% of total sales, respectively.