NEW YORK, April 23 –  Strong sales in Asia helped to buoy Amersham Pharmacia Biotech's first-quarter revenues, despite a slowdown in sales in North America, the company said Monday.

“We have seen some waiting and caution on the part of the biotechnology companies in areas where customers spend on capital equipment, due to the uncertainty in the market,” said Tracy Cheung, vice president of investor relations at AP Biotech.