Roche posts higher sales on growth scross pharma, diagnostics units

Roche Holding reported higher sales for the third quarter on growth in its pharmaceuticals and diagnostics units, as the drugmaker works to secure approval for its new breast-cancer and multiple-sclerosis pills.Roche Holding reported higher sales for the third quarter.The Swiss group said Thursday that third-quarter sales came to 16.13 billion Swiss francs ($19.57 billion) compared with 14.92 billion francs for the same period last year. Analysts polled by Visible Alpha had forecast quarterly sales at 15.78 billion francs.Roche said sales grew 7% when excluding currency changes, with increases in both its pharma and diagnostics divisions.Higher sales for top-selling drugs such as Ocrevus for multiple sclerosis, Hemlibra for hemophilia, and Vabysmo for eye diseases helped Roche’s core pharma business deliver top-line growth of 8%, the company said. Meanwhile, the group’s diagnostics division posted a 5% rise in quarterly sales, with demand for core lab and pathology systems offsetting a hit from China’s healthcare-pricing reforms.Roche reiterated its full-year guidance, which calls for increases in both sales and core earnings per share when excluding currency movements.The company said it is fully prepared to launch its giredestrant breast-cancer pill later this year, and is nearing approval of its fenebrutinib tablet for multiple sclerosis.Write to Adrià Calatayud at adria.calatayud@wsj.com