Zealand Pharma said on Friday its experimental obesity drug, co-developed with Swiss partner Roche , showed encouraging tolerability in a mid-stage trial, bolstering its push to take on market leaders with a potentially gentler alternative to existing blockbuster treatments.
The chairman of Swiss pharmaceutical giant Roche hit out at U.S. tariff policies on Thursday, likening them to "blackmail", and said protectionism by the United States and China was the firm's biggest geopolitical concern.
Roche Holding (RHHBY) might move higher on growing optimism about its earnings prospects, which is reflected by its upgrade to a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy).
Roche Holding AG (RHHBY) Analyst/Investor Day Transcript
RHHBY wins FDA approval for Tecentriq label expansion as a ctDNA-guided adjuvant therapy for bladder cancer patients at high risk of recurrence.
Olema Pharmaceuticals is rated a cautious buy, with upside potential tied to pivotal OPERA-01 Phase 3 trial results expected in fall 2026. Palazestrant differentiates itself as a CERAN with superior mechanistic action, favorable pharmacokinetics, and strong combinability, targeting ER+/HER2- breast cancer. Current valuation is conservative, reflecting early-stage data, competitive risks, and limited probability of success, but even the base case offers material upside.
The drugmaker's on-market pharma portfolio, together with drugs for lupus, breast cancer and multiple sclerosis, should offset generic competition until 2030, Chief Executive Thomas Schinecker said.
The deal seeks to bolster the artificial-intelligence offerings of Roche's diagnostics division, helping to accelerate clinical-therapy development.
US healthcare policy overhang has largely abated after MFN pricing deals, improving sector sentiment and reducing drug pricing risk for Roche and peers. Q1 showed solid underlying growth (+6% CER), supported by innovative drugs (Hemlibra, Evrysdi), with 2026 guidance reaffirmed (mid-single-digit sales, high-single-digit EPS at CER). Roche offers defensiveness with ~3% yield vs ~2.6% for the Swiss Market Index proxy.
Roche Holding AG (RHHBY) Q1 2026 Sales/Trading Call Transcript
Roche's Q1 beat masks currency drag as strong drug demand drives CER growth and offsets biosimilar hit to legacy portfolio.
David Roche of Quantum Strategy warns of a 3% global economic decline as tankers halt movement through the Gulf and Red Sea. He further argues that markets are disconnected from reality, underestimating the long-term impacts of the energy crisis and geopolitical turmoil.