The Roche Group posted record results in 2007. Group sales were up significantly, advancing 10% in local currencies (10% in Swiss francs; 15% in US dollars) to 46.1 billion Swiss francs. This 4.1 billion Swiss franc rise in full-year sales was all organic growth. The Pharmaceuticals Division's sales increased 11% in local currencies (10% in Swiss francs; 15% in US dollars) to 36.8 billion Swiss francs; this was approximately twice the global market growth rate. Demand remained very strong for the cancer medicines Avastin, Herceptin, MabThera/Rituxan, Tarceva and Xeloda. Combined sales of the divisionâs oncology products were up 20% for the year, reinforcing Rocheâs market leadership in this therapeutic area. Other pharmaceuticals driving growth included Bonviva/Boniva for osteoporosis, CellCept in transplantation, Pegasys in virology and the ophthalmology medicine Lucentis. The Diagnostics Division strengthened its market leadership with sales totalling 9.3 billion Swiss francs, a 6% increase in local currencies (7% in Swiss francs; 12% in US dollars) over 2006. Professional Diagnostics and Applied Science were the business areas posting the strongest growth.
About Roche
Headquartered in Basel, Switzerland, Roche is one of the world's leading research-focused healthcare groups in the fields of pharmaceuticals and diagnostics. As the world's biggest biotech company and an innovator of products and services for the early detection, prevention, diagnosis and treatment of diseases, the Group contributes on a broad range of fronts to improving people's health and quality of life. Roche is the world leader in in-vitro diagnostics and drugs for cancer and transplantation, and is a market leader in virology. It is also active in other major therapeutic areas such as autoimmune diseases, inflammatory and metabolic disorders and diseases of the central nervous system. In 2007 sales by the Pharmaceuticals Division totalled 36.8 billion Swiss francs, and the Diagnostics Division posted sales of 9.3 billion francs. Roche has R&D agreements and strategic alliances with numerous partners, including majority ownership interests in Genentech and Chugai, and invested over 8 billion Swiss francs in R&D in 2007. Worldwide, the Group employs about 79,000 people. Additional information is available on the Internet at www.roche.com.