Roche said on Wednesday that its sales increased to 15.1 billion Swiss francs in the first quarter of 2020, rising 2% from the same period a year earlier. The company also confirmed its outlook for 2020 with sales seen growing "in the low- to mid-single digit range" at constant exchange rates.
The pharmaceutical giant noted that its global supply chain for medicines and tests "remain intact" amid the coronavirus pandemic and stressed its antibody test is expected to be available starting from early May with production reaching "double-digit million tests" by June.
"Roche made important contributions to the fight against COVID-19. In close collaboration with authorities we were able to make our cobas SARS-CoV-2 test available and to initiate a global phase III study of Actemra/RoActemra in COVID-19 pneumonia in record time," CEO Severin Schwan stated.
