Roche posted a healthy 7% growth for its pharmaceutical division in the first nine months of 2026, though the drugmaker discontinued several clinical programmes amid asset prioritisation.
Sales for Roche’s medicines reached CHF 36.2bn ($44bn) for the period, denoting just under 80% of the company’s total sales. The Swiss franc’s appreciation against the US dollar impacted results this year, though the exchange-rate became more favourable in Q3.
Discover B2B Marketing That Performs
Combine business intelligence and editorial excellence to reach engaged professionals across 36 leading media platforms.
Despite geopolitical headwinds, Roche’s business still performed strongly. Pharma sales were fuelled by allergy med Xolair (omalizumab), haemophilia drug Hemlibra (emicizumab), Ocrevus (ocrelizumab) for multiple sclerosis, breast cancer treatment Phesgo (pertuzumab and trastuzumab), and ophthalmological blockbuster Vabysmo (faricimab). Combined, the five drugs brought in nearly half of the division’s total sales, growing 12% across the nine months compared to the same period last year.
The results make welcome viewing for investors given Roche is experiencing significant headwinds from patent expiries. Roche is not resting on its laurels, however, revealing a sweeping prioritisation of its pipeline, in an earnings call.
As per its presentation, nine compounds were removed from clinical development, the majority from Phase I trials. The headline asset shelved was RG6540, an off-the-shelf CAR T therapy obtained via Roche’s $1.5bn acquisition of Poseida Therapeutics in January 2025. In the call, Roche CEO Thomas Schinecker confirmed that the company was not moving away from the modality, just stopping work on the molecule.
Other indications involved in the pipeline trim include Alzheimer’s disease, atopic dermatitis, and obesity, among others.
Earlier this week, Roche expanded an agreement with China-based Hansoh in a $15bn mega deal, with development spanning multiple antibody-drug conjugate (ADC) programmes. The Swiss company has made a string of acquisitions and license agreements already this year to bolster its pipeline.
In the call, Schinecker was confident in the strength of both Roche’s pipeline and commercial portfolio. “We had a strong performance yet again, and we made significant portfolio progress,” he said, adding that the company has a “good line of sight for growth to the end of the decade and beyond.”
