Roche CEO Confirms Job Stability

ZURICH (Reuters) – Swiss pharmaceutical company Roche is not planning job cuts and its business is healthy, CEO Thomas Schinecker stated in an interview with a Swiss newspaper on Sunday.

Roche's share price has dropped significantly from the peaks reached in April 2022, prompting questions about staffing amid recent setbacks in drug development for cancer and other illnesses.

Schinecker assured that, "The number of workers is constant to slightly increasing," in response to inquiries about potential layoffs. He emphasized, "I can say with certainty that we have a very healthy business. And we don't have a growth problem either," adding that Roche's budget for research and development remains stable, with no growth planned.

Regarding the anticipated launch of Roche's anti-obesity drug, Schinecker indicated it could be available around 2029 or sooner.

On a broader outlook for the next year, especially considering the struggles of the German economy, Schinecker noted that Europe still faces challenges. He said, "There's some economic growth in the United States, but things are more difficult in China at the moment. And in Europe, it will take some time before we get out of this."