[Ad hoc announcement pursuant to Art. 53 LR] Roche reports good results in 2021

Basel, 03 February 2022

• Group sales increase 9%¹ at constant exchange rates (CER); 8% in Swiss francs
• Pharmaceuticals Division sales increase 3%; continued strong demand for newly launched medicines more than offsets impact of biosimilars  
• Diagnostics Division sales grow 29%; strong momentum in base business and continued high demand for COVID-19 tests  
• Major approvals for medicines since the last quarter: 
  United States: Susvimo and Vabysmo (age-related blindness)
  Europe: Gavreto (specific type of advanced lung cancer); Actemra/RoActemra (severe COVID-19); Ronapreve (non-hospitalised COVID-19 patients and prophylaxis)
• Major approvals for diagnostics since the last quarter: 
  cobas 5800 (molecular laboratory system); Avenio Edge (sequencing sample preparation system); cobas pulse and cobas infinity edge (digital ecosystem for clinical decision support); additional SARS-CoV-2 tests 
• Promising pipeline: 16 phase III trials initiated, 14 new compounds in phase III trials or filed for approval
• Repurchase of Roche shares from Novartis completed
• Core earnings per share (EPS) grow 6% (+3% in CHF)
• IFRS net income totals CHF 14.9 billion (+2%; -1% in CHF)  
• Board proposes dividend increase to CHF 9.30. If approved by shareholders, this would be the 35^th consecutive dividend increase 

Outlook for 2022: Sales are expected to be stable or grow in the low-single digits (at constant exchange rates). Core earnings per share are targeted to grow in the low- to mid-single digit range (at constant exchange rates), including the accretive effect of the recent share repurchase. Roche expects to increase its dividend in Swiss francs further.

Roche anticipates sales of COVID-19 medicines and diagnostics to decrease by approximately CHF 2 billion to around CHF 5 billion, and sales losses to biosimilars in the current year to be roughly CHF 2.5 billion. Excluding those effects, Group sales are expected to grow in the high-single digit range.

CEO Severin Schwan on the full-year results: “We achieved good results in 2021. The demand for our new medicines and diagnostics remains very high. I am particularly pleased with the progress of our product pipeline across several areas, including oncology, vision loss and neurological diseases. Based on our strong product portfolio in both divisions and the promising product pipeline, we are well positioned for future growth.”

Group results

In 2021, Group sales rose 9% (8% in CHF) to CHF 62.8 billion. Core operating profit increased 4% (2% in CHF), reflecting the strong underlying business performance, and core EPS grew 6% (3% in CHF). The Swiss franc’s appreciation against almost all currencies affected the results expressed in Swiss francs compared to constant exchange rates.

IFRS net income was CHF 14.9 billion. This represents an increase of 2% (-1% in CHF), driven by the operating results.

In December, Roche completed the CHF 19.0 billion repurchase of Roche shares held by Novartis. This restores Roche’s full strategic flexibility while retaining its operational scope of action.

Pharmaceuticals Division sales increased by 3% to CHF 45.0 billion. Strong demand for newly launched medicines to treat severe diseases, namely Hemlibra (haemophilia), Ocrevus (multiple sclerosis), Tecentriq (cancer), Evrysdi (spinal muscular atrophy), and Phesgo (cancer) drove this growth; medicines for the treatment of COVID-19 also contributed to sales growth (Ronapreve for high-risk COVID-19 patients and Actemra/RoActemra for severe COVID-19 pneumonia).

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About Roche

Founded in1896 in Basel, Switzerland, as one of the first industrial manufacturers of branded medicines, Roche has grown into the world’s largest biotechnology company and the global leader in in-vitro diagnostics. The company pursues scientific excellence to discover and develop medicines and diagnostics for improving and saving the lives of people around the world. We are a pioneer in personalised healthcare and want to further transform how healthcare is delivered to have an even greater impact. To provide the best care for each person we partner with many stakeholders and combine our strengths in Diagnostics and Pharma with data insights from the clinical practice.

In recognising our endeavor to pursue a long-term perspective in all we do, Roche has been named one of the most sustainable companies in the pharmaceuticals industry by the Dow Jones Sustainability Indices for the thirteenth consecutive year. This distinction also reflects our efforts to improve access to healthcare together with local partners in every country we work.

Genentech, in the United States, is a wholly owned member of the Roche Group. Roche is the majority shareholder in Chugai Pharmaceutical, Japan.

For more information, please visit www.roche.com.

Roche Group Media Relations
Phone: +41 61 688 8888 / e-mail: media.relations@roche.com