--Mylan generics sales rose 4.6%

--Recent acquisitions boost Mylan's product launches to 60 a year from 12

--Mylan on lookout for more acquisitions

(Updated to include CEO comments beginning in the seventh paragraph.)

 
  DOW JONES NEWSWIRES

Mylan Inc.'s (MYL) fourth-quarter earnings soared from a year-earlier period that was hit by litigation and other items as the pharmaceutical company's margins also improved.

Mylan -- the world's third-largest generic-drug maker by sales after Novartis AG's (NVS, NOVN.VX) generic arm Sandoz and Teva Pharmaceuticals Industries Ltd. (TEVA, TEVA.TV) -- has seen its revenue jump in recent quarters as concerns about the economy spurred interest in lower-cost health options. But the company's bottom line has been hampered by litigation and acquisition-related costs of late.

Mylan reported a quarterly profit of $129.5 million, or 30 cents a share, up from $2.59 million, or 1 cent a share, in the same period a year earlier. Excluding items such as amortization, litigation settlements and restructuring costs, per-share earnings rose to 53 cents from 45 cents. Revenue jumped 6.7% to $1.53 billion.

Analysts polled by Thomson Reuters had most recently forecast earnings of 50 cents a share on revenue of $1.56 billion.

Gross margin rose to 42.1% from 40.4%.

Sales of generics, which brings in most of the company's revenue, jumped 4.6%, reflecting a 14% rise in North America and a 11% increase in the Asia Pacific region.

"We ended the year very strong," Chief Executive Heather Bresch said in an interview. She said the results reflected Mylan's taking advantage of recent acquisitions, such as the generic business of Merck KGaA (MKGAY) and Matrix Laboratories in India, allowing it to launch 60 products a year, up from 12 a year before the purchases.

Bresch said Mylan is on the lookout for other acquisitions, while looking forward to other catalysts, such as its development of a generic version of asthma and COPD treatment Advair.

Shares were recently trading at $23.20, down 22 cents, and 8.9% off of their 52-week high of $25.46 set last April.

-By Melodie Warner and Jonathan Rockoff, Dow Jones Newswires; 212-416-2283; melodie.warner@dowjones.com