Strong Diagnostics, Biosimilar Pain Expected In Roche Q1

Good New Medicine Sales Should Also Feature In Results

Apr 14 2021

• By Sten Stovall

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Investors during Roche’s first-quarter update 21 April will be looking for guidance on the strong growth of biosimilar competition to its cancer mainstays and how this may be offset by the group’s pipeline.

Roche reports first-quarter sales on 21 April • Source: Alamy

A buoyant diagnostics performance in the first quarter should have helped compensate for continued pressure on Roche Holding AG’s pharma division, analysts said ahead of its first-quarter results presentation on 21 April. The Swiss firm is dealing with heavy biosimilar competition to legacy cancer drugs and from a slow down for its multiple sclerosis blockbuster Ocrevus (ocrelizumab) and its innovative oncology drugs, due to the global pandemic.

Roche has been at the forefront developing therapies and tests for SARS-CoV-2 leading to rising revenues from its diagnostics division....

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