SOFIA (Bulgaria), August 10 (SeeNews) - Bulgarian drug maker Sopharma [BUL:3JR] said on Friday it is seeking the approval of its shareholders to distribute an interim dividend of 0.05 levs ($0.029/0.026) per share for the first half of 2018. The shareholders would vote on the proposed dividend distribution at a general meeting scheduled for September 14, Sopharma said in a bourse filing. The company distributed a gross dividend of 0.11 levs for the full year 2017. Sopharma's non-consolidated net profit decreased to 25 million levs in the first half of 2018 from 32.8 million levs in the same period of last year, according to data from its interim financial statement. The company was authorised to distribute interim dividends by its shareholders in February, following changes to the Bulgarian legal framework which made such dividend payouts possible. As at 12:00 CET on Friday, Sopharma shares traded 1.23% lower at 4.0 levs.