Eli Lilly posts increased 2Q profits

INDIANAPOLIS Eli Lilly’s second-quarter profits increased thanks to prescription drug sales and low taxes, the company announced Thursday.

Lilly said it earned $959 million, compared with $664 million last year, while sales increased to $5.15 billion, higher than expected. Worldwide sales of Zyprexa, a drug for treating schizophrenia, increased to $1.24 billion.

Lilly’s stock was trading at $48.16 per share on the New York Stock Exchange in the late afternoon Thursday, an increase of 54 cents.