Jul. 24--Alexion Pharmaceuticals Inc. on Thursday announced an eight-fold increase in second-quarter profits, thanks to a more than 50 percent increase in sales of the drug Soliris.

Soliris, the company's only commercial drug and its sole source of revenue, is used in the United States and Europe to treat patients with paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria, or PNH, a rare and potentially fatal genetic blood disorder.

Patients with PNH may have anemia, chronic fatigue and pulmonary hypertension, and are at increased risk of forming life-threatening blood clots. Soliris is the only available treatment targeted specifically for PNH patients.

The drug, based on an anti-inflammatory antibody called eculizumab, is also being evaluated as a treatment for patients with a blood disorder called atypical hemolytic syndrome, and for patients with myasthenia gravis, a rare neurologic disorder.

Alexion, which is based in Cheshire, reported a profit of $16.8 million, or 19 cents per diluted share, compared with $2.4 million, or 3 cents per share, for the second quarter of 2008. It was Alexion's fifth straight profitable quarter since recording its first quarterly profit in the second quarter of last year.

Sales of the drug increased 55 percent, rising to $92.3 million from $59.6 million in the same quarter of the previous year.

The company Thursday also upwardly revised its earnings projections for 2009. For the full year, it now expects to earn $1.01 to $1.06 per share on annual revenues of $368 million to $378 million. Alexion previously had expected to earn $1 to $1.05 per share on revenues of $360 million to $375 million.

Soliris was approved as a treatment for PNH patients by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration in March 2007 and the European Commission three months later. It was approved for sale in Canada in January and in Australia in February, and the company is expected to begin marketing the drug to patients in those two nations by the end of the year.

Alexion will begin implementing market entry strategies to treat patients in the Middle East later this year and expects to expand operations into 10 new European countries in 2010, Dr. Leonard Bell, the company's chief executive officer, said Thursday in a conference call with investors.

Alexion has also filed a petition for formal approval of Soliris in Japan and hopes to commercially launch the drug there in 2010.

Alexion shares, which are traded on the Nasdaq Stock Market under the symbol ALXN, gained $2.79 per share, or 7 percent, Thursday to close at $40.98.

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