July 31 (Bloomberg) -- Daiichi Sankyo Co., Japan’s third- largest drugmaker, posted its third straight quarterly loss because of its Indian unit Ranbaxy Laboratories Ltd.

The net loss was 6.44 billion yen ($68 million) in the three months ended June 30, compared with 25 billion yen profit a year earlier, Tokyo-based Daiichi Sankyo said in a statement today. Sales increased 11 percent to 227.1 billion yen.

Daiichi Sankyo is the least profitable among Japan’s top five drugmakers and its stock has plunged 44 percent in the year to yesterday, partly hurt by its purchase of Ranbaxy, which faces a U.S. import ban on some drugs. Ranbaxy Chief Executive Officer Atul Sobti said yesterday the U.S. regulator may start inspection of one of its plants, moving it closer to resuming exports from that facility to the world’s biggest drug market.

The Japanese maker of the Benicar hypertension pill accounts for the results of its 64 percent-owned unit with a quarter’s lag. Gurgaon, India-based Ranbaxy, the nation’s biggest drugmaker, said April 24 that its net loss totaled 7.61 billion rupees ($157 million) in the quarter ended March 31.

The company maintained its full-year forecasts made in May. Daiichi Sankyo expects to turn to a net income of 40 billion yen for the year ending March 31. Sales will rise 14 percent to 960 billion yen in the 12-month period, and operating profit will climb 8.7 percent to 96 billion yen, Daiichi Sankyo said.

Daiichi Sankyo fell 2.1 percent to 1,720 yen as of the 11 a.m. trading break in Tokyo, before results were reported.

To contact the reporter on this story: Kanoko Matsuyama in Tokyo at kmatsuyama2@bloomberg.net.

Last Updated: July 30, 2009 23:56 EDT