Trimeris sales of HIV drug Fuzeon plunge 38 percent

Sales of Trimeris’ (Nasdaq: TRMS) HIV drug Fuzeon plunged 38 percent in the second quarter to $38.3 million from the same quarter in 2007, the biopharmaceutical firm said Monday.

Trimeris issued no comment with the sales figures. However, the company has been battling less expensive and easier to use HIV drugs. Fuzeon requires daily injections.

Drug giant Roche manufactures. Markets and sells Fuzeon in partnership with Trimeris.

Especially hard hit in the second quarter were sales in U.S. and Canada, dropping to $16.1 million or 51 percent from a year ago.

For the first six months of 2008, Trimeris reported sales of $81 million, a drop of 36 percent from a year earlier.

Trimeris, which has gone through management upheavals and a fight among shareholders for board seats as well as corporate direction, will announce its overall quarterly financial results in early August.