Roche to invest USD50 billion in US, confirms 2025 outlook

(Alliance News) - Roche Holding AG on Thursday unveiled plans to invest USD50 billion in its US pharmaceutical and diagnostics operations over the next five years, as it posted first-quarter sales growth and reaffirmed its full-year guidance.

The Basel, Switzerland-based pharmaceutical company said the investment will expand research, development and manufacturing in key states including Indiana, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania and California, and create over 12,000 new jobs - 1,000 directly at Roche and 11,000 through support operations.

The announcement came as Roche reported group sales of CHF15.44 billion, around USD18.67 billion, in the first quarter of 2025, up 6% at constant exchange rates and 7% in Swiss francs from CHF14.40 billion a year before.

Growth was driven by an 8% rise in Pharmaceuticals Division sales to CHF11.95 billion, supported by strong demand for drugs like Phesgo, Vabysmo, Xolair and Hemlibra.

Sales in the Diagnostics Division were flat at CHF3.49 billion, as growth in immunodiagnostics and pathology was offset by pricing reforms in China.

Roche Chief Executive Officer Thomas Schinecker said: "We had a good start to the year… We are expanding our already strong US footprint - currently over 25,000 employees - with a USD50 billion investment, an important step to continue to meet patient needs with innovative medicines and diagnostics."

Pharmaceutical growth was led by high-demand products treating eye diseases, hemophilia, allergies and breast cancer. Vabysmo sales surged to CHF1.02 billion, Phesgo reached CHF593 million, and Hemlibra rose to CHF1.17 billion.

Geographically, sales rose 6% in the US, 5% in Europe, 3% in Japan and 18% in international markets, with particularly strong momentum in China.

Roche confirmed its 2025 outlook, guiding for mid-single-digit sales growth and high-single-digit core earnings per share growth, both at CER. It also reiterated its intention to raise its dividend again in Swiss francs. In 2024, Roche declared a dividend of CHF9.70 per share.

Roche said product milestones during the quarter included US Food & Drug Administration approval for Evrysdi in tablet form for spinal muscular atrophy, Susvimo for diabetic eye disease, and EU approval of Columvi for aggressive blood cancer. It also announced a phase III trial for Alzheimer's drug trontinemab and an exclusive obesity drug partnership with Zealand Pharma AS.

In diagnostics, Roche launched its novel "sequencing by expansion" technology, promising faster and more scalable genetic analysis.

Shares in Roche were down 0.2% at CHF275.40 in Zurich on Thursday morning.

By Eva Castanedo, Alliance News reporter

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