Roche reported its results for the first half of 2015. Group sales were up 6% at constant exchange rates, 3% in Swiss francs.
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Sales increased 6% in the first half, with significant growth of sales of oncology and immunology medicines. There was also strong growth in the Diagnostics Division, driven particularly by immunodiagnostic and molecular diagnostics products.
In the Pharmaceuticals Division, 5% sales growth was driven by medicines to treat HER2-positive breast cancer (Herceptin, Perjeta, Kadcyla, combined +21%) and Avastin (+9%), which saw very strong growth in use for cervical and ovarian cancers.
Avastin is now used to treat seven different types of cancer. MabThera/Rituxan (+6%) for blood cancers and rheumatoid arthritis continued to grow solidly. Actemra/RoActemra (+25%), which is used mainly to treat rheumatoid arthritis, also remained a significant growth contributor in the first six months.
Xolair (+28%), which is now used in the treatment of chronic hives as well as asthma, continued to grow strongly. Uptake of Esbriet was very strong in the first six months (229 million Swiss francs).
Sales of oral chemotherapy drug Xeloda and anti-viral medicine Valcyte declined as these medicines are no longer patent protected. Sales of hepatitis medicine Pegasys and eye medicine Lucentis were lower as a result of increased competition.
In the Diagnostics Division, sales increased 7%, driven primarily by immunodiagnostic products from the Professional Diagnostics business area (+7%).
The Molecular and Tissue Diagnostics business areas also performed well, each up 12%, and sales in Diabetes Care increased 1%, despite ongoing challenging market conditions.
The Swiss franc strengthened considerably against the euro during the first half of 2015, after the Swiss National Bank lifted its exchange rate peg in January, whilst weakening against the US dollar.
The Japanese yen continued to further weaken against the Swiss franc, as did most European and Latin American currencies. Overall, there was a significant negative currency impact of 3 percentage points on sales. ■