Pharmaceutical packaging group Gerresheimer has blamed a drop in sales in cosmetics packaging and glassware for laboratories for falls in sales and profit for the first half of the year. In half-year results, the German group revealed sales of 501.7M Euros (£430.5m), a 2.7% slide on the same period last year. EBITDA, meanwhile, fell 11.2% to EUR 85.8m. The company said that it had seen sales growth in its key market providing packaging & packaging equipment to the pharmaceutical sector, which makes up around 70% of sales. Sales in the company's medical plastic systems unit were strong, the company said, while primary pharmaceutical packaging such as ampoules & vials had also made a major contribution. However, it said that sales had dropped in its more cyclical cosmetics & lab glassware markets due to inventory reductions by customers.
