New Drugs Shine But Biosimilars Blunt Roche Revenue Rise

MabThera revenues sink 16% in Europe as the first biosimilars make in-roads into the market but the Swiss major is encouraged by another stellar performance from new MS drug Ocrevus.

Vaccination
Roche is looking to soften the blow of biosimilars • Source: Shutterstock

Roche has coped well enough in the third quarter with the start of biosimilar competition to some of its big-selling therapies as new drugs contributed to better-than-expected sales but the signs are there that the threat will be considerable in the next year or so.

Group revenues rose 6% on the like, year-earlier period to CHF13.09bn at constant exchange rates, with pharmaceutical sales also up...

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