Roche reports 1H group sales CHF 30.9B vs. CHF 29.8B last year

Group sales grew by 7% at constant exchange rates, driven by strong demand for medicines. Pharmaceuticals Division sales rose by 10%, with Phesgo, Xolair, Hemlibra, Vabysmo and Ocrevus being the top growth drivers. Diagnostics Division sales were stable as strong demand for pathology solutions and blood screening tests offset the impact of healthcare pricing reforms in China. Core operating profit increased by 11%, driven by higher sales and effective cost management. Core earnings per share showed significant growth of 12%; IFRS net income jumped by 23%. Roche (RHHBY) CEO Thomas Schinecker: “Roche’s strong growth momentum continued in the second quarter, driven by the strong growth of 11% at constant exchange rates in our Pharmaceuticals Division. We received numerous important approvals and reported positive data in disease areas with high unmet medical need. Over the past six months, we have made significant progress in our pipeline and advanced four potentially practice-changing therapies into the final phase of clinical development, based on encouraging data: NXT007 in haemophilia A, trontinemab in Alzheimer’s disease, prasinezumab in early-stage Parkinson’s disease, and zosurabalpin, a novel antibiotic that could become the first in over 50 years to tackle a type of bacteria that has become resistant to most other treatments. We are confident in our continued strong momentum and resilience of our business due to our innovative on-market portfolio and pipeline. Based on these strong results, we confirm our full-year outlook.”