By Gelu Sulugiuc

COPENHAGEN (Reuters) - Danish pharmaceutical group Lundbeck (LUN.CO: Quote, Profile, Research) reported on Wednesday a larger-than-expected 41 percent rise in first-quarter operating profit and kept its full-year outlook unchanged, boosting its shares by 7.5 percent.

Lundbeck reported operating profit of 924 million Danish crowns ($191.7 million), up from 658 million in the same period last year and against 699 million expected on average in a Reuters poll of analysts.

Sales were up 12 percent to 2.9 billion crowns, higher than the 2.7 billion expected in the Reuters poll.

"It's a strong report that shows we're well on our way to reach the goals we've set for 2008," Lundbeck Chief Executive Anders Gotzsche told Reuters.

"Sales growth was broad, spread over all regions and products. We expect investments in research and development to rise to more than 20 percent of revenue this year."

Lundbeck maintained its full-year forecast for sales of between 11 billion and 11.5 billion crowns and operating profit of between 2.8 billion and 2.9 billion crowns.

The company derives most of its sales from antidepressant Cipralex, sold in the United States as Lexapro.

Patents on Cipralex/Lexapro expire in major markets in 2012-2014 and Lundbeck is looking to license one or two new drugs this year to make up for the expected revenue loss.