GENEVA (AP) — Swiss pharmaceuticals company Roche saw a modest 3 percent rise in its underlying profits last year, largely as a result of a strong performance in the United States.

Roche, which does not break out its fourth-quarter results, also projected sales growth in the high single-digits in percentage points in 2018.

The Basel-based company, which employs 94,000 worldwide, said core operating profit rose to 19.01 billion Swiss francs ($20.4 billion) in 2017, up from 18.42 billion francs a year earlier. Net profit fell 9 percent to 8.825 billion francs as a result of a series of charges.

Roche said recently launched multiple sclerosis medicine Ocrevus, cancer immunotherapy Tecentriq and lung cancer treatment Alecensa contributed 1.4 billion francs in new sales, or nearly two-thirds of growth in the pharmaceuticals division.

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