Roche blockbuster drugs drive growth as currency effects bite

July 23 (Reuters) - Swiss drugmaker Roche confirmed its outlook on Thursday after first-half sales fell slightly in Swiss franc terms, dragged down by a strong domestic currency.

Analysts expect the second half of the year to be important for investor sentiment as Roche continues expanding launches of breast cancer drug Itovebi and other medicines in additional markets through the rest of 2026.

• Group sales for the first half were down 2% year on year at 30.36 billion Swiss francs ($37.34 billion) in local currency, lining up with average analyst expectations of about 30.31 billion francs, cited by Visible Alpha.

• Sales rose 6% at constant exchange rates, boosted by its top-selling drugs.

• "Given where the currency exchange rates are today, there should be a zero effect in terms of currencies in the second half of the year," said Chief Executive Thomas Schinecker.

• Roche confirmed its outlook for growth in adjusted earnings per share in a high-single-digit range and sales growth in a mid-single-digit percentage range.

• The Basel-based company's most profitable drugs in terms of sales — multiple sclerosis drug Ocrevus and monthly haemophilia shot Hemlibra — grew 7% and 11% respectively from the same period last year.

($1 = 0.8131 Swiss francs)

(Reporting by Danny Callaghan and Marleen KaesebierEditing by David Goodman)