Roche Holding AG (ROG.VX) Chairman Franz Humer said Tuesday he expects President Obama's plans to reform the U.S. healthcare system will bring sweeping changes, but he also expects Roche to be less affected than rivals by the anticipated changes.

Humer was speaking to shareholders at the company's annual general meeting in Basel, Switzerland.

"Healthcare reform will certainly result in a fundamental change of the dynamics of the U.S. market," Humer said. "We, with our strategy that focuses on innovative drugs rather than mass-market products, are markedly better positioned to cope with the changes than many of our competitors," he added.

Company Website: http://www.roche.com

-By Anita Greil, Dow Jones Newswires; +41 43 443 8044 ; anita.greil@dowjones.com