(Adds details on results in paragraph 3-5) Australian biotech...

(Adds details on results in paragraph 3-5) Australian biotech giant CSL Ltd (CSL) ' reported on Tuesday a net profit rise of 13% in the first half, bolstered by strong demand and increased plasma collection at its Behring unit.

The company, which uses blood plasma to create treatments for certain diseases, posted a statutory net profit after tax, excluding one-off items, of $2.06 billion on a constant currency basis for the half year ended Dec. 31, up 13% from a year ago.

CSL, a former government laboratory which became a stock market darling after a string of large acquisitions made it the world's largest blood plasma company, said plasma collections remained strong, with compensation for donors and labour continuing to trend down.

"Our strong first half result for the 2024 financial year was driven by CSL Behring's exceptional performance across its portfolio, especially immunoglobulins," CSL's CEO Paul Perreault said.

CSL, the country's fourth-largest company by market capitalisation, declared an interim dividend of $1.19 per share, higher than the $1.07 announced last year.