Roche's Ocrevus: A Rare First-Year Blockbuster

Ocrevus generated roughly $935m in 2017 after launching in April, exceeding recent drug launches and putting the multiple sclerosis therapy in company with early successes like Opdivo, Ibrance, Tecfidera and Eylea.

Roche's multiple sclerosis drug Ocrevus (ocrelizumab) appears to have set a new bar for commercial drug launch success among recent launches (excluding drugs for hepatitis C). Ocrevus generated $935m (CHF869m) in sales in 2017 in just nine months after launching in the US in April, nearly reaching blockbuster status in under a year on the market.

Drugs that reach $1bn in sales that fast don't come around every year. Ocrevus has outpaced other notable launches in...

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