Whether calming allergies, lowering cholesterol or treating diabetes, Sciele Pharma Inc. (Nasdaq: SCRX) is going to be very busy this year. Next year may be just as lively, as the company continues to expand into pediatrics and women’s health while maintaining its strength in the cardiovascular and diabetes arena.

Sciele (rhymes with dial) has seven products to launch in 2008, starting in January with Prandin for type-2 diabetes. In March, Sciele will launch its new Sular formulation for hypertension; other introductions  include an allergy drug via an agreement with Sanofi Aventis, a cholesterol reducer, a prenatal vitamin, a head lice asphyxiator (just in time for the back-to-school season) and another diabetes offering. Next year’s slate includes a hypertension drug and remedies for pediatric chronic excessive drooling and other maladies.

There will be more if Sciele gets its way. The Atlanta, Ga.-based company’s key is to grow through licensing and by acquiring products in late stage review. It also purchases commercialized drugs for sale in the United States — usually from large pharmaceutical companies. Its licenses and products come from AstraZeneca, Bayer AG, Warner-Lambert, Sanofi-Aventis, Wyeth, Elan and Novo Nordisk, among others. It depends on third-party manufacturers and its own sales force.

Sciele’s active pipeline is why focusing on the company’s switch to Sular from its old formula is investing through a rear view mirror. Sales of Sular fell in the fourth quarter ended Dec. 31 as Sciele geared up for the March launch of new Sular sales. Lower sales are expected again in the first quarter of this year, but then they should begin to build as the transition is completed. There aren’t high growth hopes for Sular, anyway: generics are likely to come onto the market by summer, and Sular is an out-of-favor calcium channel blocker drug for hypertension.   

Costs of the switch, while aggravating to investors, have virtually been absorbed and the groundwork is set for the upcoming launches. Given that, Sciele reiterated guidance for diluted earnings per share in 2008 at $1.97 to $2.07, with 40% of that expected in the first half of the year and 60% in the second half. That’s up from $1.56 per share — excluding non-operating costs — in 2007. Revenues are expected to grow 15% to 19% to $440 million to $455 million.

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