Roche reports strong financial results for 2015

Roche has published its financial results for 2015, during which it achieved a group sales total of 48.15 billion Swiss francs (32.96 billion pounds).

This represented a five percent year-on-year increase on a constant exchange rate basis, or one percent in local currency terms. Its core earnings per share were up seven percent at constant exchange rates, when excluding the sale of filgrastim rights in 2014.

Its pharmaceutical division sales were up by five percent, driven by the oncology medicines Herceptin, Avastin and Perjeta plus the idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis therapy Esbriet, while its diagnostics division sales grew by six percent, driven primarily by immunodiagnostic products.

Encouraging progress was made in the development of drugs such as ocrelizumab and atezolizumab, with the launch of the Cobas 6800 and Cobas 8800 systems in the US also proving successful.

Sales are expected to continue to grow in the low to mid-single digit range at constant exchange rates in 2016.

Roche chief executive officer Severin Schwan said: "2015 was a successful year, with strong business results in both pharmaceuticals and diagnostics, driven by our newly launched medicines and diagnostic platforms."