Dear shareholders, dear partners, we look back on another successful half year. Supported by our long-term and lasting growth drivers, self-care, biologics, biosimilars, and digital health, we were able to increase our sales by 24% from continuing operations. In delivery systems, we saw particularly strong growth driven by our autoinjectors. Existing and newly launched products based on our platforms have contributed to this. As a result, we were able to improve access to better health care in several indications, such as atopic dermatitis, psoriasis, high cholesterol, growth disorders, inflammatory and autoimmune diseases. And in addition, we have signed a long-term supply agreement with Novo Nordisk for metabolic indications. This long-term cooperation supports our growth strategy significantly and in a sustainable way. In diabetes care, we are fully focused on the growth market of connected insulin pump therapy.
With mylife Loop, consisting of our pump, our YpsoPump, and the CamAPS app, supported by continuous glucose monitoring sensors from both Abbott and Dexcom, we have created a leading system in automated insulin delivery. Market feedback confirms that we are considered first class in several components of modern insulin therapy. One of those USPs is that we offer the only solution that is approved for pregnant women. It has been shown in a large scientific study, published on fifth of October, that mylife Loop from Ypsomed can significantly improve health of pregnant women with type 1 diabetes and their babies. For improving the lives of people with diabetes, our partner and friend, Professor Roman Hovorka, was recently honored with several awards, such as the prestigious EASD–Novo Nordisk Foundation Diabetes Prize for Excellence 2023.
We have also reached our interim target of 40,000 active pump users and see a credible path back to profitability in our pump business with 50,000 users by end of the financial year. This positive performance also led to a significant increase in headcount. We have been able to welcome 172 new colleagues in the first six months. Achieving this in a challenging environment is a recognition of our corporate culture and purpose. I would like to thank all colleagues who work tirelessly for the well-being of people with chronic conditions and have contributed to our success. Thank you for your trust!