On the sales and profit forecast front, analysts say that Roche missed the mark in 2015. Amid an extended bear market for biotechs, CEO Severin Schwan announced what analysts are calling a “muted” forecast for 2016. The world’s largest biotech saw an uptick in 2015 sales largely due to its triplet oncology powerhouse and IPF treatment Esbriet and won five major approvals in a nod to future strength. Like others engrained in the biologics game, the Swiss giant is vulnerable to biosimilar intrusion, with Rituxan, Avastin, and Herceptin copycats in development. The company refuses to roll over, strategically defending its empire by switching Herceptin to subcutaneous delivery and introducing replacement products Perjeta and Kadcyla. Roche/Biogen’s ocrelizumab created a buzz in the MS world, while atezolizumab is in development for a variety of cancers. Roche is betting on Blueprint Medicines’ oncology ingenuity through a partnership to develop a handful of cancer-fighting drugs. Roche’s pharmaceutical/diagnostic business combo continues to gain relevancy in a market increasingly infatuated with precision medicine.
From the May 01, 2016 Issue of MM+M - Medical Marketing and Media
