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Roche posts lift in sales
SWISS pharmaceuticals giant Roche yesterday posted a four per cent lift in group sales for last year, and said it expects sales to grow at the same rate in 2013.
The firm reported that sales hit SFr45.5bn (£31.6bn) due to greater demand for key cancer drugs and higher sales of diagnostic tests. Excluding the effects of varying exchange rates, sales were up seven per cent.
Strong revenues allowed the firm to post core operating profit of SFr17.2bn, with core earning per share up 10 per cent at SFr13.62.
“A particular highlight in 2012 was the approval of breast cancer medicine Perjeta, which helps women with HER2-positive breast cancer live longer,” said Roche CEO Severin Schwan.