J & J quarterly profit jumps

LONDON, July 16 (Reuters): Johnson & Johnson reported a 41.8 per cent rise in second-quarter profit on Tuesday, helped by its pharmaceuticals business.

The diversified healthcare company, the first major US drugmaker to report second-quarter results, said net earnings rose to $5.61 billion, or $2.08 per share, from $3.95 billion, or $1.45 per share, a year earlier.

Its sales fell 1.3 per cent to $20.56 billion.