Roche still raises its annual sales forecasts

The laboratory also said it expects to finalize the acquisition of Spark Therapeutics for 4.3 billion dollars (3.9 billion euros) by the end of the year despite many delays.
Roche is now expecting revenue growth at the top of the single-digit range, at constant exchange rates, as the group expects mid-to-high growth in July.
In the third quarter, the Basel-based group's turnover increased by 13% to 15.6 billion Swiss francs (14.2 billion euros), in particular as a result of a 50% jump in sales of his treatment for Ocrevus Multiple Sclerosis, which amounted to 929 million francs.
International sales jumped 27% to 2.5 billion euros, while Roche attempted a breakthrough in China with its anti-cancer treatments Avastin, Herceptin and Rituxan, whose patents have expired or are on the verge of to do so in Europe and the United States, paving the way for generic competition.
"The reception of our recently launched drugs is very good. (…) Given the strong demand for our new drugs and continued progress in our product pipeline, we have revised our forecasts for the current year and I am confident that our growth will continue beyond this year, "said Roche CEO Severin Schwan, quoted in a statement.
Even if the acquisition of US gene therapy specialist Spark, which should have been finalized, is still under review by the UK and US competition authorities, Roche has confirmed its forecast of a finalization. of the operation by the end of the year.

(John Miller, Myriam Rivet for French Service, edited by Bertrand Boucey)