Encysive Pharmaceuticals Inc. said Thursday its third-quarter loss widened by 36 percent as product launch ramp-up expenses increased, but the biotech drug maker performed better than Wall Street expected.

The company reported a loss of $25.5 million, or 44 cents per share, compared with a loss of $18.8 million, or 32 cents per share, a year ago.

Revenue more than doubled to $6.3 million from $3 million last year from higher royalties on sales of the blood thinner Argatroban by GlaxoSmithKline PLC.

Analysts surveyed by Thomson Financial expected a larger loss per share of 48 cents on revenue of $3.9 million.

Total costs jumped 43 percent to $31.7 million, driven by a near tripling of sales and marketing expenses, and general and administrative expenses that more than doubled, as the company prepares for the launch of its pulmonary hypertension treatment Thelin.

Thelin, which is intended to treat chronic high blood pressure in the blood vessel carrying oxygen-poor blood to the lungs, was approved in Europe in August and is still awaiting final approval by the Food and Drug Administration.

Shares fell 8 cents to $4.55 in pre-market activity on the INET electronic exchange, after closing Wednesday at $4.63 on the Nasdaq.