Johnson & Johnson JNJ.N reported a 41.8% rise in second-quarter profit on Tuesday, helped by its pharmaceuticals business.

The diversified healthcare company, the first major U.S. drugmaker to report second-quarter results, said net earnings rose to $5.61 billion, or $2.08 per share, from $3.95 billion, or $1.45 per share, a year earlier. 

Sales fell 1.3% to $20.56 billion.

(Reporting by Manas Mishra and Manojna Maddipatla in Bengaluru; Editing by Sriraj Kalluvila) ((Manas.Mishra@thomsonreuters.com; within U.S. +1 646 223 8780, outside U.S. +91 806749 8325; Reuters Messaging: manas.mishra.thomsonreuters.com@reuters.net))