BASEL (Reuters) – Swiss drugmaker Roche Holding AG (ROG.VX: Quote, Profile, Research, Stock Buzz) took $1.7 billion in restructuring charges it said should lead to big savings as it confirmed its outlook on Thursday with first-half sales beating expectations.

Roche, the world’s largest maker of cancer drugs, is better positioned than most in the global drugs industry to weather patent expiries and government price cuts since its top-selling cancer medicines do not face imminent generic competition.

ZURICH (Reuters) – Swiss drugmaker Novartis (NOVN.VX: Quote, Profile, Research, Stock Buzz) posted a smaller than expected fall in second-quarter core earnings and said tight cost control and strong sales of new drugs would help it cope with a bigger than anticipated drag from a stronger dollar.

Like many of its rivals, Novartis is struggling to grow in the face of patent expiries on key drugs, particularly Diovan for high blood pressure. It is relying on new products, like multiple sclerosis pill Gilenya, to fill the gap.

ZURICH, July 19 (Reuters) – Swiss drugmaker Novartis
posted a smaller than expected fall in second-quarter
core earnings and said tight cost control and strong sales of
new drugs would help it cope with a bigger than anticipated drag
from a stronger dollar.

Like many of its rivals, Novartis is struggling to grow in
the face of patent expiries on key drugs, particularly Diovan
for high blood pressure. It is relying on new products, like
multiple sclerosis pill Gilenya, to fill the gap.

ZURICH/GENEVA, July 17 (Reuters) – SGS, the
world’s largest testing and inspection group, said cost cutting
and investment in emerging markets should help it to meet
full-year targets after a one-off restructuring charge led it to
miss first-half profit expectations.

The Swiss group, whose activities include checking toy
safety and testing oil wells, said on Tuesday strength in energy
and mining businesses and an increase in government regulation
was helping to offset slower growth in the euro zone.

VEVEY, Switzerland, July 12 (Reuters) – Nestle Chairman
Peter Brabeck has a new mountain to climb. The 67-year-old is
trying to goad world leaders into action to avert a looming
water crisis.

The Austrian leads the world’s biggest food and beverage
company but has developed a passion for the water issue as he
believes it is critical to the long-term future of the producer
of brands like Nespresso and KitKat.