Roche Reports Strong Q3 2021 Performance with CHF 33.4 Billion in Pharmaceutical Sales and Top 10 Products Overview

On October 20, Roche released its Q3 2021 financial report. For the first three quarters of 2021 ended September, growth was strong, with revenue increasing by 8% at constant exchange rates (CER) to reach CHF 46.7 billion.

By segment, the Pharmaceuticals division grew by 5% in the third quarter, gradually recovering from the COVID-19 pandemic (Q1: -9%, Q2: +4%), while the impact of biosimilars also moderated slightly. For the first nine months, Pharmaceuticals division revenue totaled CHF 33.4 billion, remaining flat year-on-year.

The Diagnostics Division continued to deliver strong growth. Driven by high demand for COVID-19 testing, a strong recovery in the base business, and newly launched diagnostic platforms, Diagnostics sales grew by 18% in the third quarter and by 39% in the first nine months. Based on the nine-month performance, Roche raised its 2021 revenue guidance.

The global sales of the top 10 products by sales in the first three quarters are presented in the table below.

In the first nine months of 2021, Roche experienced strong revenue growth from new medicines, with over 50% of the Pharmaceuticals division's revenue derived from new products.

However, as of September 2021, Roche's oncology and immunology pipelines remained impacted by biosimilars and COVID-19.

In the oncology field, within the HER2 product portfolio, trastuzumab emtansine (Kadcyla) grew by 16% following its approval for adjuvant breast cancer treatment. Pertuzumab increased by 4% driven by the launch of the subcutaneous formulation Phesgo, with the European marketing authorization process currently underway. Bevacizumab faced intense global competition from biosimilars, resulting in a 39% decline in sales, and its sales ranking fell from third place at the half-year mark to fifth. The PD-L1 monoclonal antibody Tecentriq continued to maintain strong growth, with sales rising 27% propelled by major indications in first-line hepatocellular carcinoma and first-line small cell lung cancer.

In the immunology segment, the IL-6 monoclonal antibody tocilizumab (Actemra) received Emergency Use Authorization from the FDA and a recommendation from the WHO for the treatment of cytokine release syndrome in hospitalized COVID-19 patients. Meanwhile, for rheumatoid arthritis (RA) monotherapy, tocilizumab continues to maintain a leading position in the EU5 market. Pirfenidone (Esbriet), indicated for idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, experienced a 5% sales decline as new patient acquisition was impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. Omalizumab (Xolair) holds a leading position in the asthma biologics market. In Q2, a new formulation was approved in the United States. This formulation significantly enhances convenience by enabling at-home self-injection, which is expected to further drive market expansion. Sales grew by 8% in the first three quarters.

The PD-L1 monoclonal antibody Tecentriq surged by 27%, with sales reaching CHF 2.477 billion in the first three quarters.

In the multiple sclerosis field, Ocrevus's market share in the United States increased to 29%, while multiple clinical trials continue to advance.

Faced with the threat posed by biosimilars, Roche is proactively driving pipeline replacement and expansion, with its follow-on pipeline holding promising potential.

Pipeline changes for Q3 2021 are as follows:

Appendix: Roche's Current R&D Pipeline and Expected Progress