Sun Pharma Q1 profit falls as higher costs hit top Indian drugmaker

BENGALURU, Aug 3 (Reuters) - Sun Pharmaceutical Industries (SUN.NS) posted a nearly 2% fall in first-quarter profit on Thursday as higher expenses offset demand for its drugs and related products.

Consolidated net profit after tax at Indias largest drugmaker by revenue came in at 20.23 billion rupees ($244.4 million) for the three months ended June 30, compared with 20.61 billion rupees a year earlier.

Analysts, on average, had expected a profit of 21.38 billion rupees, as per Refinitiv data.

The company, which makes popular consumer healthcare products such as Revital vitamin pills and pain relief gel Volini, said its total revenue from operations rose 11% to 119.41 billion rupees for the quarter.

Founded in 1983, Sun Pharma also makes generics, over-the-counter medications, anti-retrovirals and active pharmaceutical ingredients for chronic and acute treatments.

The company said research and development (R&D) expenses for the quarter rose 47.5% to 6.79 billion rupees, compared to 4.61 billion rupees a year ago.

Global specialty sales, which accounted for 16.2% of total sales during the quarter, rose 21% percent in the quarter, the company said.

Sales in India formulations rose 5.1% to 35.6 billion rupees during the quarter, while sales in the United States rose 19.3% to 38.71 billion rupees. India and U.S. sales account for over 30% and 33% of total consolidated sales at the firm.

Shares of Sun Pharma rose 1.8% after results.

($1 = 82.7825 Indian rupees)