New York - US drugs concern Merck & Co reported Monday that it nearly doubled its first-quarter 2008 profits thanks to stronger demand for key medications and its cooperation with AstraZeneca Plc.

The company said net income reached 3.3 billion dollars, up 94 per cent on the first quarter of 2007, with the figure beating analysts' estimates, the financial agency Bloomberg reported.

The earnings came on revenues of 5.8 billion dollars, up about 1 per cent year-on-year.

Merck & Co, the third-biggest drugs concern in the US, cited a 2.2 billion dollar payment from AstraZeneca as well as rising demand for its diabetes ill and cervical cancer vaccine for the improved performance.

The AstraZeneca payment was for the companies' partnership on blood pressure drugs and a treatment for Crohn's disease.

For the full year, the company said it was maintaining its previous earnings forecasts and was confident despite the proespect of losing its patent on for the osteoporosis medication Fosomax. (dpa)