Roche has been revealed as the pharmaceutical sector leader for research and development, spending a total of $9.1 billion (£5.6 billion) in 2009, which is up 11.6 per cent from 2008.

This is the third year in a row that pharmaceutical labels have helped the firm to win the title as biggest spender, while it was also named as the largest biotechnology company worldwide.

Roche was noted to have embarked on a large-scale and aggressive mergers and acquisitions strategy over the course of the year, with Genentech one of the major companies it bought in 2009.

Altogether, firms using pharmaceutical labels were found to have spent a total of $86.57 billion during 2009, with Pfizer singled out as another to have purchased businesses.

Earlier this month, Roche revealed that it has completed the acquisition of PVT Probenverteiltechnik GmbH - based in Waiblingen, Germany - as well as of PVT Lab Systems based in Georgia, USA.

Denny Bros Ltd, 18 March 2011