The Disetronic company of Burgdorf near Bern continues to grow its business as the world's leading supplier of insulin pumps for diabetics.

Sales revenues for the first six months of the company's business year (April to September) reached SFr167.7 million ($110.7 million), 15.6 per cent higher than the comparable period in the previous financial year.

However, the medical technology group reported on Thursday that net profit rose by only 2.6 per cent to SFr21.4 million.

In a statement, the company said profit growth had lagged sales growth because of weaker turnover in the United States after the terror attacks in September. The rise of the Swiss franc against the US dollar and the euro, and one-off costs of eliminating software problems contributed to the results.

Some people with diabetes, who are interested in pump therapy, have obviously put key decisions on hold, given the current climate of widespread and general uncertainty, it added.

However, Disetronic said that assuming the outlook for the US market brightened and the Swiss francs did not appreciate any further, it was looking to deliver sales growth of around 20 per cent and accelerate growth in profits in the second half.

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