QLT announces first quarter result...( VANCOUVER April 28 / QLT Inc. (NASDAQ...),Health

VANCOUVER, April 28 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ - QLT Inc. (NASDAQ: QLTI; TSX: QLT) ("QLT" or the "Company") today reported financial results for the first quarter ended March 31, 2009. Unless specified otherwise, all amounts are in U.S. dollars and in accordance with U.S. GAAP.

"We are pleased to report another quarter of profitability, driven by our revenue streams from Visudyne(R) and Eligard(R)," said Bob Butchofsky, President and Chief Executive Officer of QLT. "Our main driver this year however, continues to be our ophthalmology-focused clinical programs and we look forward to sharing the results from our on-going Phase II punctal plug program in the third quarter. In addition, in the second quarter we are anticipating 12-month results from our RADICAL Visudyne combination study and the Novartis-sponsored MONTBLANC Visudyne combination study, which could help drive Visudyne usage."

    2009 FIRST QUARTER FINANCIAL RESULTS

    Worldwide Product Sales

Visudyne sales for the first quarter were $27.8 million, a decrease of 23.9% from sales in the first quarter of 2008. Sales in the U.S. were $8.7 million, down 6.1% from the prior-year first quarter, while sales outside the U.S. were $19.0 million, down 30.0% from the prior year. The drop in Visudyne sales was primarily due to the approval and reimbursement in Europe of alternative therapeutics for age-related macular degeneration.

Worldwide Eligard sales in the first quarter were $58.6 million, an increase of 16.4% over the first quarter of 2008. U.S. sales of $21.1 million were up 8.2% from last year's first quarter, while sales outside the U.S. increased 21.5% to $37.4 million.

QLT Revenues

For the first quarter, total revenue of $30.1 million was up 12.7% from the first quarter of 2008 due to the increase in revenue relat
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