Roche Lifts Forecast as Bet Outside Cancer Starts to Pay Off

New drugs for multiple sclerosis, hemophilia show gains
Revenue exceeded analysts’ estimates in first quarter

Roche CEO Severin Schwan says he’s "very confident" about European sales growth.(Source: Bloomberg)

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By Naomi Kresge

April 26, 2018 at 5:32 AM UTC

Updated on

April 26, 2018 at 8:33 AM UTC

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Roche Holding AG’s bet on fields outside cancer is starting to pay off as the Swiss drugmaker boosted its forecast even as sales of one of its top drugs collapsed in Europe.

New medicines such as Ocrevus for multiple sclerosis and Hemlibra for hemophilia are driving growth, the company said in a statement Thursday. The world’s biggest maker of cancer treatments reported sales that exceeded analysts’ estimates in the first quarter.