Roche sales show significant rise

Sales by the Roche Group, of Switzerland, have continued to accelerate, rising by 8% in the first nine months of 2001 in local currency terms and by 7% in Swiss francs to SFr21.6bn (US$13bn). This good performance was due largely to a second straight quarter of double-digit growth in the pharmaceuticals division, as well as continued double-digit growth in the diagnostics division, the company says. Sales of prescription medicines showed a 12% increase for the second consecutive quarter, growing faster than the global market average over the past six months.

Roche expects growth in the pharmaceuticals division to continue to the end of the year at the average rate recorded for the year so far, while the diagnostics division is likely to continue to grow at a rate well above the market average. Sales for the full year are forecast to rise 8% in local currencies, and operating profit to at least equal the previous year's figure.

Growth in prescription drug sales was fuelled largely by the division's extremely successful oncology franchise and other newly launched products. Medicines such as MabThera, Xeloda, Herceptin, CellCept, Valcyte/ Cymevene and Dilatrend achieved high double-digit growth, while Kytril, NeoRecormon, Xenical, Rocephin and Nutropin/Protropin also contributed to the division's strong performance.

The restructuring programme 'Reshaping for Future Growth' is on schedule. The aim is to increase the division's operating margin to between 20% and 25% over the next two to three years.