[title_words_as_hashtags
(Reuters) -hVIVO plc on Tuesday raised its 2023 revenue forecast after the healthcare company reported a 52% jump in sales in the first half as demand for testing of infectious and respiratory disease therapies increased.
Drugmakers are in a race to develop vaccines and drugs to treat respiratory diseases caused by respiratory syncytial virus and COVID-19, resulting in increased demand for clinical testing of the products.
The contract research organisation now expects its annual revenue to be 55 million pounds ($68.8 million), compared with 53 million pounds it previously expected.
hVIVO’s weighted contracted order book rose 11% year-on-year to 78 million pounds as of June 30.
Core profit more than doubled to 5.2 million pounds in the first half of the year, compared with 2.3 million pounds a year earlier.
Shares of hVIVO rose more than 4% to 19 pounds.
($1 = 0.7996 pounds)
(Reporting by Khushi Mandowara in Bengaluru; Editing by Dhanya Ann Thoppil and Mrigank Dhaniwala)
