Roche announces strong growth for first nine months of 2015

Roche has announced its financial results for the first nine months of 2015, during which it delivered a group sales total of 35.53 billion Swiss francs (23.86 billion pounds).

This represented a year-on-year increase of six percent at constant exchange rates, allowing the company to raise its guidance for the full year. It now expects sales growth in the mid-single digit range for 2015.

The firm's pharmaceutical division sales were up by six percent, driven by strong growth of HER2-positive breast cancer medicines as well as Avastin and Esbriet, while its diagnostic division grew at the same rate thanks to the performance of its professional, molecular and tissue diagnostics businesses.

Additionally, for the seventh year running, Roche was ranked as the most sustainable healthcare company in the Dow Jones Sustainability Indices.

Roche chief executive officer Severin Schwan said: "With sales continuing to grow strongly, we are raising our outlook for the full year. I am very pleased about the positive newsflow coming from our product pipeline."