Jul. 23--Leading eye-care company Alcon Laboratories said net earnings increased by 2.6 percent in the second quarter, driven in part by sales for cataract and glaucoma treatments and reduced expenses from cost-cutting.

The Fort Worth-based company (ticker: ACL) reported global sales of $1.68 billion for the three-month period ending in June, Alcon said in a statement released Wednesday after the markets closed. That would have been an increase of 3.3 percent excluding foreign exchange fluctuations, a figure the company refers to as "organic sales growth."

The company earned $582 million for the quarter, compared with $567 million in the second quarter of 2008.

"Organic sales growth is coming in as expected in 2009, as we continue to execute our sales and marketing strategies that allow us to grow even in the face of global economic weakness," Kevin Buehler, Alcon's president and CEO, said in a statement.

"We expect that further development of key businesses like glaucoma, advanced technology intraocular lenses and emerging markets will enable us to achieve our full-year guidance of mid-single-digit organic sales growth with somewhat higher organic growth in the second half of the year."

International sales increased 5.9 percent, excluding currency fluctuations, but decreased 6.4 percent on a reported basis. Sales in emerging markets rose 8.1 percent excluding fluctuations, or a decline of 8.2 percent as reported.

Glaucoma sales rose 16.6 percent, including a reported 15.4 percent increase in global sales of Travatan and related ophthalmic solutions. The launch of the Azarga ophthalmic solution in the European Union contributed to the growth, the company said.

Sales of advanced technology intraocular lenses increased 38.3 percent. The sale of allergy products declined a reported 4.8 percent in the U.S., however, because of a weaker spring allergy market.

Contributing to the earnings were cost-management programs and foreign exchange fluctuations that reduced general and administrative expenses from 30.4 to 27.9 percent of sales.

Alcon also reported Wednesday that it has entered into a five-year deal with AstraZeneca for exclusive access that company's compound library for ophthalmic discoveries, with potential development rights. Alcon has also entered into a research and licensing agreement with PhiloGene for rights to a protein that is being studied for treatment of certain kinds of macular degeneration and macular edema.

Alcon reported sales of about $6.3 billion in 2008. Its majority shareholder is Nestle S.A., although Novartis in 2008 bought a 25 percent share of Alcon from Nestle. It has an option to buy Nestle's remaining 52 percent share by 2011.

Dianna Hunt, 817-390-7084

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