Roche Holding AG (ROG.VX) is very confident about the outlook for the full year, Chief Executive Severin Schwan told shareholders Tuesday.

Speaking to shareholders at the drugmaker's annual general meeting, Schwan said: "We continued to perform strongly in the first two months of 2009."

Sales in both divisions, pharmaceuticals and diagnostics, grew in line with Roche's expectations, he said.

"Operating profit growth was even better than anticipated."

-By Anita Greil, Dow Jones Newswires; +41-43-4438044; anita.greil@dowjones.com