United Therapeutics Corp. / UTHR

About United Therapeutics Corp.

1110 Spring St., Silver Spring, Md. 20910
www.unither.com | 301-608-9292 | Founded: 1996

Industry: Biotechnology | Category: Top 100 Companies

United Therapeutics is one of the few biotech companies in the region that makes money. And its profit has continued a strong upward climb. In February, the firm said it logged a fourth straight year of revenue growth at or above 40 percent; its 2006 profit was $74 million, up 14 percent from 2005. Sales of the company's chief product, the pulmonary hypertension drug Remodulin, rose 55 percent in the fourth quarter.
The year got off to a less-rosy start when the company reported fourth-quarter 2005 profit that did not meet Wall Street's increasingly high expectations. First-quarter earnings fell 70 percent because of stock option and income-tax expenses. Earnings rebounded, but in August, the company disclosed delays in clinical trials for inhaled and oral forms of Remodulin. The drug now must be administered continuously, a major inconvenience.
United Therapeutics recently reported that both trials are back on track. Meanwhile, the European Respiratory Journal published a study in December showing that Remodulin significantly improves four-year survival rates. Chief executive Martine A. Rothblatt credited the study with contributing to Remodulin's improved sales in the fourth quarter.

President and COO: Roger Jeffs

2007 Financial Data

Total employees: 300 | Local employees: 90