Roche Explores Selling Lung Disease Drug Amid Buyer Interest

Roche Holding AG is considering selling Esbriet, a lung disease drug that’s seen sales plummet amid competition from cheaper generics.

The Swiss pharmaceuticals giant is in the early stages of evaluating a disposal after getting inbound interest from potential suitors, people with knowledge of the matter said, asking not to be identified discussing confidential information.

Esbriet is an oral anti-fibrotic medicine used to treat a chronic lung disease known as idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis. Sales of the drug fell more than 70% to 202 million Swiss francs ($229 million) in 2023.

“As part of the normal process to review our portfolio ...