The Nasdaq-quoted biotechnology company, Trinity Biotech, has more than doubled its profits in the first quarter of 1998 from $218,000 to $451,000 (£316,500) with sales in the period up from $3.1 million in first quarter 1997 to $5.5 million in the quarter to the end of March last. Earnings per share jumped from one cent to two cents. The increase in sales and profits reflected higher sales of Trinity's range of products as well as synergies from the acquisitions in 1997 of Clark Laboratories in the US and Centocor Holdings in Britain. At the end of March, Trinity had cash and short-dated investments of $3.3 million and net assets of $25 million.