Johnson & Johnson on Tuesday said its second-quarter profit rose on higher sales of its medical devices and prescription medicines.

The diversified health-care company said it earned $2.8 billion or 95 cents per share, compared with $2.59 billion, or 86 cents per share, in the 2005 period.

Excluding special items, J&J earned 98 cents per share. Analysts, on average, expected 97 cents per share, according to Reuters Estimates.

Shares of J&J have risen 1.33 percent since the start of the year, closely tracking its peers on the American Stock Exchange Pharmaceutical Index <.DRG>, which is up 1.31 percent in the same period.