Roche, the Swiss pharmaceuticals group best known for its Tamiflu influenza treatment and its powerful cancer drugs, raised guidance for full-year sales in 2009 after turnover in the first nine months came in significantly higher than expected.

The sales figures – Roche publishes no profits at the nine-month stage – were boosted by bumper demand for Tamiflu amid persistent fears about a global flu pandemic. Tamiflu sales of SFr2bn ($1.9bn) in the first nine months were more than four times ahead of the same period last year. In the third quarter, sales reached SFr994m – nearly 10 times more than in the same period last year.