[1/2] The logo of Swiss drugmaker Roche is seen at its headquarters in Basel, Switzerland January 30, 2020.
Quarterly group revenue fell to 15.3 billion Swiss francs ($17.2 billion), the company reported on Wednesday, beating market expectations of 14.8 billion francs.
The company, which does not report earnings for its first and third quarter, reiterated that pandemic-related sales - mainly lab testing, antibody treatment Ronapreve and repurposed arthritis drug Actemra - would drop by 5 billion francs this year.
"We are very happy with the very rapid and significant uptake in the different markets around the world," he said on a media call.
Sales and core earnings per share were still expected to decrease at a "low single-digit" percentage in 2023, the pharmaceuticals and diagnostics company added.