COVANCE ENDS 2005 ON THE UPSWING

Covance closed 2005 on a high after net revenues climbed 16.9 per cent from 2004 to reach $1.19 bn (1 bn). The current trend towards outsourcing R&D, coupled with increased productivity and repeat business has fuelled the company's robust performance. "Strong order flow over the past two years translated into a doubling of our full-year top-line growth rate to 16.9 per cent," said Joe Herring, Covance's chairman and CEO.

Outsourcing-pharma.com (http://www.outsourcing-pharma.com/news/ng.asp?n=65494-covance-fourth-quarter-revenue-results)