Tamiflu sales boost Roche profits

Swiss drugs firm Roche has reported an 8% rise in annual sales, helped by sales of swine flu drug Tamiflu and cancer treatments, such as Herceptin.
The rate of growth is twice the industry average and operating profits were up by 14% to 15bn Swiss francs ($14.2bn, £8.89bn). 
However, overall net income for the year fell 22% to 8.5bn Swiss francs as a result of takeover costs. 
Last year, Roche bought US pharmaceutical giant Genentech. 
It says that this deal is already proving profitable. 
Although sales of Tamiflu soared last year, they are expected to fall sharply in 2010, to 1.2bn Swiss francs from 3.2bn Swiss francs in 2009.