A huge surge in sales of Tamiflu, the influenza drug, helped Roche of Switzerland to increase its underlying operating profit by 13 per cent to SFr7.97bn (€7.54bn) in the first half of 2009.

Governments, corporations and retail pharmacies bought SFr1bn of Tamiflu during the six-month period, in response to the H1N1 swine flu pandemic. Roche said sales during the the three months to June 30, amounted to SFr600m, compared with SFr49m during the second quarter of 2008.