Plasma’s back: CSL’s core business grows as collections troubles ease

A big bounceback in blood plasma collection volumes has supported sales growth of CSL’s core medicines, while its purchase of Swiss pharma firm Vifor has helped boost half-year revenues by 25 per cent.

The $147 billion biotech giant will put the plasma supply concerns seen over the COVID years behind it, with chief executive Paul Perreault telling investors on Tuesday morning that the business had seen an impressive jump in collections of 36 per cent for the half.

“This acceleration in plasma collections underpins our ability to manufacture our plasma products going forward which is excellent news for patient care,” he said.

Human blood plasma is collected via donors, largely in the United States, and refined to make CSL’s suite of specialist medicines. COVID-19 lockdowns and restrictions had constrained volumes of plasma over the past few years, leading to less product to sell.

The business was upbeat about the situation when revealing its half-year financial results on Tuesday, confirming that sales in its portfolio of immunoglobulin products were up 19 per cent in constant currency terms.

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CSL’s total revenues leapt by 25 per cent to $US7.6 billion ($10.9 billion) in constant currency terms.

That includes $US923 million in revenues from iron deficiency and kidney disease treatments maker Vifor, which CSL acquired last year for $16.4 billion.

The company’s profits were steady at $US1.6 billion – though when costs related to one-off charges from the Vifor acquisition were stripped out, underlying profits were up by 10 per cent to $US1.8 billion.