FRANKFURT, April 24 Reuters Roche confirmed ambitions to return to sales growth this year on a continued boost from eye drug Vabysmo, after firstquarter sales slipped by 6 on the loss on COVID19related revenue.

Quarterly sales fell to 14.4 billion Swiss francs 15.80 billion, the familycontrolled drugmaker said in a statement on Wednesday, hurt also by a strong Swiss franc that weighed on overseas revenue but in line with analysts expectations.

Roche, which does not disclose quarterly earnings, said the rest of the year would no longer be burdened by yearearlier comparisons that were inflated by COVIDrelated sales.

It reiterated its 2024 guidance of an increase in sales and adjusted earnings per share in the mid singledigit percentage range at constant exchange rates.

Excluding currency effects, quarterly revenue from Vabysmo more than doubled to 847 million francs, surpassing an analyst consensus of about 750 million francs, after longterm trial data earlier this year bolstered ophthalmologists39; confidence in the drug.

Vabysmo, which is used to treat a common form of blindness in the elderly and which won approval in 2022, challenges rival drug Eylea from Bayer and partner Regeneron.

At the helm for about a year, CEO Thomas Schinecker is pursuing a variety of therapeutic fields to offset falling oncology sales, setting a high deal pace. The group suffered major drug trial setbacks in Alzheimer39;s and cancer immunotherapy in 2022.

Roche in December joined a list…