[$$] Lilly, Bristol-Myers Post Increased Profits (at The Wall Street Journal Online)

Word Count: 440 | Companies Featured in This Article: Eli Lilly, Bristol-Myers Squibb, Daiichi Sankyo, AstraZeneca, Sanofi-Aventis Eli Lilly & Co. and Bristol-Myers Squibb Co. reported improved second-quarter profits, helped by higher sales of drugs that treat cancer, mental illness and cardiovascular disease. The drug makers' results also were bolstered by cost cuts and favorable currency-exchange rates -- trends that are aiding profits throughout the industry at a time when large pharmaceutical companies are under pressure from generic competition and other challenges. Bristol-Myers disclosed plans for additional cost savings in coming years. In 4 p.m. composite trading on the New York Stock Exchange, Lilly's shares... [read full story]