F. Hoffmann-La Roche AG, commonly known as Roche, is a Swiss multinational healthcare company that operates worldwide under two divisions: Pharmaceuticals and Diagnostics. Its holding company, Roche Holding AG, has shares listed on the

SIX Swiss Exchange SIX Swiss Exchange (formerly SWX Swiss Exchange), based in Zurich, is Switzerland's principal stock exchange (the other being Berne eXchange). SIX Swiss Exchange also trades other securities such as Swiss government bonds and derivatives such a ...

. The company headquarters are located in

Basel , french: link=no, Bâlois(e), it, Basilese , neighboring_municipalities= Allschwil (BL), Hégenheim (FR-68), Binningen (BL), Birsfelden (BL), Bottmingen (BL), Huningue (FR-68), Münchenstein (BL), Muttenz (BL), Reinach (BL), Riehen (BS), ...

. Roche is the fifth largest pharmaceutical company in the world by revenue, and the leading provider of cancer treatments globally. The company controls the American

biotechnology Biotechnology is the integration of natural sciences and engineering sciences in order to achieve the application of organisms, cells, parts thereof and molecular analogues for products and services. The term ''biotechnology'' was first used by ...

company

Genentech Genentech, Inc., is an American biotechnology corporation headquartered in South San Francisco, California. It became an independent subsidiary of Roche in 2009. Genentech Research and Early Development operates as an independent center within ...

, which is a wholly owned affiliate, and the Japanese biotechnology company

Chugai Pharmaceuticals is a drug manufacturer operating in Japan. It is a subsidiary controlled by Hoffmann-La Roche, which owns 62% of the company as of 30 June 2014. The company is headquartered in Tokyo. Osamu Nagayama is the current representative director and c ...

, as well as the United States-based companies Ventana and

Foundation Medicine Foundation Medicine, Inc. is an American company based in Cambridge, Massachusetts, which develops, manufactures, and sells genomic profiling assays based on next-generation sequencing technology for solid tumors, hematologic malignancies, and ...

. Roche's revenues during fiscal year 2020 were 58.32 billion

Swiss franc The Swiss franc is the currency and legal tender of Switzerland and Liechtenstein. It is also legal tender in the Italian exclave of Campione d'Italia which is surrounded by Swiss territory. The Swiss National Bank (SNB) issues banknotes and the fe ...

s. Descendants of the founding Hoffmann and Oeri families own slightly over half of the bearer shares with voting rights (a pool of family shareholders 45%, and Maja Oeri a further 5% apart), with Swiss pharma firm Novartis owning a further third of its shares until 2021. Roche is one of the few companies increasing their dividend every year, for 2020 as the 34th consecutive year. F. Hoffmann-La Roche is a full member of the European Federation of Pharmaceutical Industries and Associations (EFPIA).

History

Founded in 1896 by

Fritz Hoffmann-La Roche Fritz Hoffmann-La Roche, later Fritz Hoffmann-von der Mühll (1868 1920), was a Swiss businessman who founded the pharmaceutical company F. Hoffmann-LaRoche & Co. Early life Hoffmann was born in Basel, Switzerland (french: link=no, Bâle) o ...

, the company was early on known for producing various vitamin preparations and derivatives. In 1934, it became the first company to mass-produce synthetic vitamin C, under the brand name

Redoxon Redoxon was the brand name of the first artificially synthesized ascorbic acid ( vitamin C). Redoxon was first marketed to the general public by Hoffman-La Roche in 1934, making it the first mass-manufactured synthetic vitamin in history. The br ...

. During the Second World War Roche collaborated with the Nazi regime in Germany and used forced labour in its German and Polish based factories. In 1957, it introduced the class of

tranquilizer A tranquilizer is a drug that is designed for the treatment of anxiety, fear, tension, agitation, and disturbances of the mind, specifically to reduce states of anxiety and tension. Etymology Tranquilizer, as a term, was first used by F.F. Yon ...

s known as

benzodiazepine Benzodiazepines (BZD, BDZ, BZs), sometimes called "benzos", are a class of depressant drugs whose core chemical structure is the fusion of a benzene ring and a diazepine ring. They are prescribed to treat conditions such as anxiety disorders, i ...

s (with Valium and Rohypnol being the best known members). It manufactures and sells several cancer drugs and is a leader in this field. In 1956, the first antidepressant,

iproniazid Iproniazid (Marsilid, Rivivol, Euphozid, Iprazid, Ipronid, Ipronin) is a non-selective, irreversible monoamine oxidase inhibitor (MAOI) of the hydrazine class. It is a xenobiotic that was originally designed to treat tuberculosis, but was later ...

, was accidentally created during an experiment while synthesizing

isoniazid Isoniazid, also known as isonicotinic acid hydrazide (INH), is an antibiotic used for the treatment of tuberculosis. For active tuberculosis it is often used together with rifampicin, pyrazinamide, and either streptomycin or ethambutol. For lat ...

. Originally, it had been intended to create a more efficient drug at combatting Tuberculosis. Iproniazid, however, revealed to have its own benefits; some people felt it made them feel happier. It was withdrawn from the market in the early 1960s due to toxic side-effects. In 1976, an accident at a chemical factory in

Seveso Seveso (; lmo, label= Lombard, Séves ) is a town and ''comune'' in the Province of Monza and Brianza, in the Region of Lombardy. The economy of the town has traditionally been based on the furniture industry. Its name comes from the river of ...

, Italy, owned by a subsidiary of Roche, caused a large dioxin contamination. In 1982, the United States arm of the company acquired Biomedical Reference Laboratories for US$163.5 million. That company dated from the late 1960s, and was located in

Burlington, North Carolina Burlington is a city in Alamance and Guilford counties in the U.S. state of North Carolina. It is the principal city of the Burlington, North Carolina Metropolitan Statistical Area, which encompasses all of Alamance County, in which most of th ...

. That year Hoffmann-La Roche then merged it with all of its laboratories, and incorporated the merged company as Roche Biomedical Laboratories, Inc. in Burlington. By the early 1990s, Roche Biomedical became one of the largest clinical laboratory networks in the United States, with 20 major laboratories and US$600 million in sales. Roche has also produced various HIV tests and

antiretroviral drug The management of HIV/AIDS normally includes the use of multiple antiretroviral drugs as a strategy to control HIV infection. There are several classes of antiretroviral agents that act on different stages of the HIV life-cycle. The use of multipl ...

s. It bought the patents for the

polymerase chain reaction The polymerase chain reaction (PCR) is a method widely used to rapidly make millions to billions of copies (complete or partial) of a specific DNA sample, allowing scientists to take a very small sample of DNA and amplify it (or a part of it) ...

(PCR) technique in 1992. In 1995 the era of highly active anti-retroviral therapy (HAART) was initiated by the United States FDA's approval of Hoffman LaRoche's HIV protease inhibitor saquinavir. Within 2 years of its approval (and that of ritonavir 4 months later) annual deaths from AIDS in the United States fell from over 50,000 to approximately 18,000 On 28 April 1995 Hoffmann-La Roche sold Roche Biomedical Laboratories, Inc. to National Health Laboratories Holdings Inc. (which then changed its name to Laboratory Corporation of America Holdings).Laboratory Corp of America Holdings · 10-Q · For 3/31/95
SECInfo.com, Filed On 5/15/95, SEC File 1-11353, Accession Number 920148-95-11 Roche acquired

Syntex Laboratorios Syntex SA (later Syntex Laboratories, Inc.) was a pharmaceutical company formed in Mexico City in January 1944 by Russell Marker, Emeric Somlo, and Federico Lehmann to manufacture therapeutic steroids from the Mexican yams called ''cab ...

in 1994 and

in 2002. Oseltamivir is a controversial antiviral drug used to combat avian influenza, commonly known as the bird flu. Roche is the only drug company authorized to manufacture the drug, which was discovered by

Gilead Sciences Gilead Sciences, Inc. () is an American biopharmaceutical company headquartered in Foster City, California, that focuses on researching and developing antiviral drugs used in the treatment of HIV/AIDS, hepatitis B, hepatitis C, influenza, and C ...

. Roche purchased the rights to the drug in 1996 and in 2005 settled a royalty dispute, agreeing to pay Gilead tiered royalties of 14–22% of annual net sales without adjusting the payments for manufacturing costs, as had been allowed in the original licensing agreement. On 20 October 2005 Hoffmann-La Roche decided to license other companies to manufacture Oseltamivir. Also in 2005 Roche acquired the Swiss company GlycArt Biotechnology in order to acquire technology to afucosylate antibodies; one of its products in development was

obinutuzumab Obinutuzumab, sold under the brand name Gazyva among others, is a humanized anti-CD20 monoclonal antibody, originated by GlycArt Biotechnology AG and developed by Roche as a cancer treatment. It can be used as a first-line treatment for chronic l ...

, which gained FDA approval in November 2013 for the treatment of

chronic lymphocytic leukemia Chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) is a type of cancer in which the bone marrow makes too many lymphocytes (a type of white blood cell). Early on, there are typically no symptoms. Later, non-painful lymph node swelling, feeling tired, fever, nigh ...

. On 22 January 2008 Roche acquired Ventana Medical Systems for $3.4 billion. On 2 January 2009, Roche acquired Memory Pharmaceuticals Corp. On 26 March 2009, Roche acquired

for $46.8 billion. On 12 March 2009 Roche agreed to fully acquire Genentech, in which it had held a majority stake since 1990, after eight months of negotiations. As a result of the Genentech acquisition, Roche moved its Palo Alto based research facilities to their campus that straddles the border between

Clifton, New Jersey Clifton is a city in Passaic County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. Criss-crossed by several major highways, the city is a regional commercial hub for North Jersey and is a bedroom suburb of New York City in the New York Metropolitan Area. A ...

and Nutley, New Jersey while Roche's United States headquarters, located on the New Jersey site since 1929, was moved to Genentech's facility in

South San Francisco South San Francisco is a city in San Mateo County, California, United States, located on the San Francisco Peninsula in the San Francisco Bay Area. The city is colloquially known as "South City". The population was 66,105 at the 2020 cens ...

. Genentech became a wholly owned subsidiary group of Roche on 25 March 2009. Roche began vacating the NJ site in 2012, and sold it off in 2016. Roche acquired Medingo Ltd. in April 2010 for $160 million and BioImagene, Inc. in August for $100 million. In 2011, the company received the International Society for Pharmaceutical Engineering Facility of the Year Award for Process Innovation for Roche's "MyDose" Clinical Supply project. In March 2011, Roche acquired PVT Probenverteiltechnik GmbH for up to €85 million. In July 2010, Roche acquired mtm laboratories AG for up to 190 million EUR. On October, Roche acquired Anadys Pharmaceuticals, Inc. for $230 million. In December, Roche announced it would acquire Munich-based Verum Diagnostica GmbH, gaining entry to the fastest-growing field in the coagulation diagnostics market. On 26 June 2012, Roche announced the closure of the Nutley/Clifton campus, which was completed in 2013. The property is in the process of remediation. In July 2013, Roche Diagnostics acquired blood diagnostics company Constitution Medical Inc. for $220 million. Later, in September, Genentech announced it would acquire Arrayit Corporation. On 7 April 2014, Roche announced its intention to acquire IQuum for up to $450 million, as well as the rights to an experimental drug (ORY-1001) from Spanish company Oryzon Genomics for $21 million and up to $500 million in milestone payments. On 2 June, Roche announced its intention to acquire Genia Technologies Inc. for up to $350 million. In August 2014, the company agreed to purchase Californian-based pharmaceutical firm InterMune for $8.3 billion, at $74 a share this represents a 38% premium over the final share closing price, as well as Santaris Pharma A/S for $450 million. In December 2014, the company acquired

next-generation sequencing Massive parallel sequencing or massively parallel sequencing is any of several high-throughput approaches to DNA sequencing using the concept of massively parallel processing; it is also called next-generation sequencing (NGS) or second-generation ...

processing company Bina Technologies for an undisclosed sum and Dutalys GmbH a developer of next-generation anti-bodies. On 16 January 2015, the company announced that they would acquire

Trophos Trophos was a biopharmaceutical company specialising in the discovery and development of novel therapeutics to treat both orphan neurodegenerative diseases and more prevalent disorders. Trophos was founded in 1999 in Marseille by three scientist ...

for €470 million ($543 million) in order to increase the company's neuromuscular disease presence. The deal will centre on the Phase II and III

spinal muscular atrophy Spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) is a rare neuromuscular disorder that results in the loss of motor neurons and progressive muscle wasting. It is usually diagnosed in infancy or early childhood and if left untreated it is the most common geneti ...

drug

olesoxime Olesoxime (TRO19622) is an experimental drug formerly under development by the now-defunct French company Trophos as a treatment for a range of neuromuscular disorders. It has a cholesterol-like structure and belongs to the cholesterol-oxime f ...

(TRO19622). In April 2015, Roche acquired CAPP Medical, and its chief development of technology for cancer screening and monitoring via the detection of circulating tumor DNA. In August, the company announced its intention to acquire GeneWEAVE, Inc. for up to $425 million in order to strengthen its microbial diagnostics business. Days later the company acquired Kapa Biosystems, Inc. for $445M, focussing on next generation sequencing and polymerase chain reaction applications. In October 2015, the company acquired Adheron Therapeutics for $105 million (plus up to $475 million in milestone payments). In January 2016, the company announced it would acquire Tensha Therapeutics for $115 million upfront, with $420 million in contingent payments. In January 2017, the company acquired ForSight VISION4. In June, the company acquired the diabetes management platform, mySugr GmbH for an undisclosed price. In November Roche acquired Viewics, Inc. In late December the company announced it would acquire Ignyta Inc, expanding its global oncology business. In February 2018, Roche announced it would acquire Flatiron Health, a business specialising in US cancer data analytics, for $1.9 billion. In June of the same year the company announced it would acquire the outstanding shares of

for $2.4 billion ($137 per share). Later in September Roche announced its intention to acquire Tusk Therapeutics for up to €655 million ($759 million) expanding Roche's oncology pipeline. Tusk announced that the anti-CD38 antibody it is developing will be spun off to form a new company, Black Belt Therapeutics. In late November, the company announced that Genentech would acquire Jecure Therapeutics, gaining access to Jecure's portfolio of

NLRP3 NLR family pyrin domain containing 3 (NLRP3) (previously known as NACHT, LRR and PYD domains-containing protein 3 ALP3and cryopyrin), is a protein that in humans is encoded by the ''NLRP3'' gene located on the long arm of chromosome 1. NLRP3 is ...

inhibitors developed to fight inflammatory diseases like non-alcoholic steatohepatitis and liver fibrosis. In February 2019, the business announced it would acquire

gene therapy Gene therapy is a medical field which focuses on the genetic modification of cells to produce a therapeutic effect or the treatment of disease by repairing or reconstructing defective genetic material. The first attempt at modifying human DN ...

company, Spark Therapeutics, for ($114.50 per share) adding Spark's gene therapy portfolio to its previous acquired assets. Spark has an already approved treatment for Leber's congenital amaurosis, Luxturna - priced at per patient. The offer to acquire Spark Therapeutics was extended to May 2019 after Roche was unable to garner majority support from Spark shareholders. A second gene therapy-related action came in December with the acquisition of non-United States rights to an investigational duchenne muscular dystrophy gene therapy developed by Sarepta Therapeutics. In November Roche acquired Promedior and its lead treatment - PRM-151 - for the treatment of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, for $390 million upfront and another $1 billion in milestone payments. In March 2020, the

Roche Diagnostics F. Hoffmann-La Roche AG, commonly known as Roche, is a Swiss multinational healthcare company that operates worldwide under two divisions: Pharmaceuticals and Diagnostics. Its holding company, Roche Holding AG, has shares listed on the SIX S ...

division reached a significant milestone with the FDA-approval of its high-volume Sars-CoV-2 diagnostic test, capable of analyzing 1,400-8,800 samples within 24h on the proprietary cobas 6800/8800 molecular testing system. In May the company announced it had acquired US-based Stratos Genomics for an undisclosed amount. In September the business acquired Ireland-based Inflazome, for €380 million, gaining control of its

inflammasome inhibitors. In March 2021, Roche announced it would acquire GenMark Diagnostics for $1.8 billion. Under the terms of agreement, Genmark diagnostics will become a subsidiary and the principle operations will continue to remain in Carlsbad, California. In September, the company announced it would acquire German biotech group, TIB Molbiol, enhancing its molecular diagnostics operations.

Family

The Hoffmann-La Roche family is Switzerland's richest and one of the most secretive families. Many members of the family don't carry the last name Hoffmann anymore. Some are known as Oeri, Michalksi,

Faber-Castell Faber-Castell AG is a manufacturer of pens, pencils, other office supplies (e.g., staplers, slide rules, erasers, rulers)Faber-Castell InternationalOffice Products and art supplies,Faber-Castell InternationalProducts for FineArts and FineWriti ...

, Fabre, Schmid or Duschmalé.

Acquisition history

*Hoffmann-La Roche (Founded 1896 by

) **Biomedical Reference Laboratories (Acq 1982, restructured into Roche Biomedical Laboratories, Inc in 1982, sold 1995) **

(Acq 1994) **

(Acq 2002) **

454 Life Sciences 454 Life Sciences was a biotechnology company based in Branford, Connecticut that specialized in high-throughput DNA sequencing. It was acquired by Roche in 2007 and shut down by Roche in 2013 when its technology became noncompetitive, although ...

(Acq 2007) **

***Spring BioScience Corp (Acq 2007) *** Ventana Medical Systems (Acq 2009) ***mySugr GmbH (Acq 2017) ***Viewics, Inc (Acq 2017) ***Flatiron Health (Acq 2018) ***Stratos Genomics (Acq 2020) **Memory Pharmaceuticals Corp (Acq 2009) **

(Acq 2009) ***Tanox, Inc (Acq 2006) ***Arrayit Corporation (Acq 2013) ***Seragon (Acq 2014) ***Jecure Therapeutics (Acq 2018) **Medingo Ltd (Acq 2010) **BioImagene, Inc. (Acq 2010) **PVT Probenverteiltechnik GmbH (Acq 2010) **MTM laboratories AG (Acq 2010) **Anadys Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (Acq 2010) **Verum Diagnostica GmbH (Acq 2011) **Constitution Medical Inc. (Acq 2012) **IQuum (Acq 2014) **Genia Technologies Inc. (Acq 2014) **InterMune (Acq 2014) **Santaris Pharma A/S (Acq 2014) **Bina Technologies, Inc. (Acq 2014) **Dutalys GmbH (Acq 2014) **Ariosa Diagnostics (Acq 2014) **

(Acq 2015) **CAPP Medical (Acq 2015) **GeneWEAVE BioSciences, Inc. (Acq 2015) **Kapa Biosystems, Inc. (Acq 2015) **Adheron Therapeutics (Acq 2015) **Tensha Therapeutics (Acq 2016) **ForSight VISION4 (Acq 2017) **Ignyta Inc (Acq 2017) ** Foundation Medicine, Inc. (Acq 2018) **Tusk Therapeutics (Acq 2018) ** Spark Therapeutics (Acq 2019) **Promedior (Acq 2019) **Stratos Genomics (Acq 2020) **Inflazome (Acq 2020) **GenMark Diagnostics (Acq 2021) **TIB Molbiol (Acq 2021)

Financial data

Divisions

Roche has two major divisions: Pharmaceuticals and Diagnostics. Roche Diagnostics manufactures diagnostic equipment and reagents for research and medical diagnostic applications. Internally, it is organized into five major business areas: Roche Applied Science, Roche Professional Diagnostics, Roche Diabetes Care, Roche Molecular Diagnostics and Roche Tissue Diagnostics ( Ventana). The main location for Roche Professional Diagnostics is in Rotkreuz, Switzerland. All business areas except

Roche Applied Science Roche Applied Science was a global business entity in the biotechnology sector that produces reagents and systems for life sciences research, with an emphasis on molecular genetics and cell biology research needs. Scope of business Roche Applied ...

focus on health care applications, targeting either physicians, hospitals and clinics, or consumers. Applied Science targets research settings in academia and pharmaceutical and biotechnology industries.

Products

Hoffmann-La Roche develops drugs used for cancer treatment, against virus diseases and for treatment of metabolic diseases. The company is the world's largest spender in pharmaceutical R&D. Tamiflu

Drugs produced by Roche include: *

Accutane Isotretinoin, also known as 13-''cis''-retinoic acid and sold under the brand name Accutane among others, is a medication primarily used to treat severe acne. It is also used to prevent certain skin cancers (squamous-cell carcinoma), and in th ...

/RoAccutane ( isotretinoin), for severe (nodular) acne vulgaris - no longer sold under Accutane brand name but is still available as RoAccutane, other brand names and Isotretinoin generics. * Actemra/RoActemra (

tocilizumab Tocilizumab, sold under the brand name Actemra among others, is an immunosuppressive drug, used for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis, systemic juvenile idiopathic arthritis, a severe form of arthritis in children, and COVID19. It is a hu ...

), for rheumatoid arthritis. * Actimmune (

interferon gamma Interferon gamma (IFN-γ) is a dimerized soluble cytokine that is the only member of the type II class of interferons. The existence of this interferon, which early in its history was known as immune interferon, was described by E. F. Wheelock ...

), for chronic granulomatous disease, later sold to Connetics Corporation, then InterMune, after that Vidara Therapeutics and finally Horizon Pharma as of 2019. * Activase (

alteplase Alteplase (t-PA), a biosynthetic form of human tissue-type plasminogen activator (t-PA), is a thrombolytic medication, used to treat acute ischemic stroke, acute ST-elevation myocardial infarction (a type of heart attack), pulmonary embolism a ...

), for heart attacks. * Akynzeo (

netupitant/palonosetron Netupitant/palonosetron, sold under the brand name Akynzeo, is a fixed-dose combination medication used for the prevention of acute and delayed chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting. It is marketed and distributed by Helsinn Therapeutics. Ne ...

), for nausea and vomiting, licensed by Eisai Co. and Helsinn Therapeutics. *

Alecensa Alectinib (INN, marketed as Alecensa) is an oral drug that blocks the activity of anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK) and is used to treat non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC). It was developed by Chugai Pharmaceutical Co. Japan, which is part of t ...

(

alectinib Alectinib (INN, marketed as Alecensa) is an oral drug that blocks the activity of anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK) and is used to treat non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC). It was developed by Chugai Pharmaceutical Co. Japan, which is part of th ...

), for ALK-positive non-small cell lung cancer. *

Aloxi Palonosetron, sold under the brand name Aloxi, is used for the prevention and treatment of chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting (CINV). It is a 5-HT3 antagonist. Palonosetron is administered intravenously, or as a single oral capsule. Freel ...

( palonosetron), for nausea and vomiting, licensed by Eisai Co. and Helsinn Therapeutics. * Anexate (

flumazenil Flumazenil (also known as flumazepil, code name Ro 15-1788) is a selective GABAA receptor antagonist administered via injection, otic insertion, or intranasally. Therapeutically, it acts as both an antagonist and antidote to benzodiazepines ( ...

), for the reversal of acute benzodiazepine effects. * Aurorix ( moclobemide), for depression. *

Avastin Bevacizumab, sold under the brand name Avastin among others, is a medication used to treat a number of types of cancers and a specific eye disease. For cancer, it is given by slow injection into a vein (intravenous) and used for colon cancer, l ...

(

bevacizumab Bevacizumab, sold under the brand name Avastin among others, is a medication used to treat a number of types of cancers and a specific eye disease. For cancer, it is given by slow injection into a vein (intravenous) and used for colon cancer, ...

), for certain malignant tumors. * Bactrim (

trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole Trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole, sold under the brand name Bactrim among others, is a fixed-dose combination antibiotic medication used to treat a variety of bacterial infections. It consists of one part trimethoprim to five parts sulfamethoxazol ...

), a sulphonamide antibacterial. * Boniva/Bonviva (

ibandronic acid Ibandronic acid is a bisphosphonate medication used in the prevention and treatment of osteoporosis and metastasis-associated skeletal fractures in people with cancer. It may also be used to treat hypercalcemia (elevated blood calcium levels). I ...

), for the treatment of osteoporosis in postmenopausal women. *Camleed ( enprostil), for gastric ulcer prevention. * Cardene (

nicardipine Nicardipine (Cardene) is a medication used to treat high blood pressure and angina. It belongs to the dihydropyridine class of calcium channel blockers (CCBs). It is also used for Raynaud's phenomenon. It is available in by mouth and intravenous ...

), for treatment of stable angina pectoris. *

Cathflo Activase Alteplase (t-PA), a biosynthetic form of human tissue-type plasminogen activator (t-PA), is a thrombolytic medication, used to treat acute ischemic stroke, acute ST elevation myocardial infarction, ST-elevation myocardial infarction (a type of h ...

(

), for heart attacks. * Cellcept ( mycophenolate mofetil), for transplant rejection. * Cotellic (

cobimetinib Cobimetinib, sold under the brand name Cotellic, is an anti-cancer medication used in combination with vemurafenib (Zelboraf) alone or with both vemurafenib and atezolizumab (Tecentriq) to treat melanoma. Cobimetinib is a MEK inhibitor. Cotellic ...

), for melanoma. * Cymevene (

ganciclovir Ganciclovir, sold under the brand name Cytovene among others, is an antiviral medication used to treat cytomegalovirus (CMV) infections. Ganciclovir was patented in 1980 and approved for medical use in 1988. Medical use Ganciclovir is indicated ...

), for cytomegalovirus infection. * Dalmane/Dalmadorm ( flurazepam), for insomnia. *Dilatrend (

carvedilol Carvedilol, sold under the brand name Coreg among others, is a medication used to treat high blood pressure, congestive heart failure (CHF), and left ventricular dysfunction in people who are otherwise stable. For high blood pressure, it is gen ...

), for hypertension and congestive heart failure. *

Dormicum Midazolam, sold under the brand name Versed among others, is a benzodiazepine medication used for anesthesia and procedural sedation, and to treat severe agitation. It works by inducing sleepiness, decreasing anxiety, and causing a loss of a ...

( midazolam), for insomnia and

procedural sedation and analgesia Procedural sedation and analgesia (PSA) is a technique in which a sedating/dissociative medication is given, usually along with an analgesic medication, in order to perform non-surgical procedures on a patient. The overall goal is to induce a decr ...

. * Erivedge (

vismodegib Vismodegib (trade name Erivedge ) is a drug for the treatment of basal-cell carcinoma (BCC). The approval of vismodegib on January 30, 2012, represents the first Hedgehog signaling pathway targeting agent to gain U.S. Food and Drug Administratio ...

), for basal-cell carcinoma. *

Esbriet Pirfenidone is a medication used for the treatment of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis. It works by reducing lung fibrosis through downregulation of the production of growth factors and procollagens I and II. It was first approved in Japan for th ...

( pirfenidone), for idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis. * Fansidar (

sulfadoxine/pyrimethamine Sulfadoxine/pyrimethamine, sold under the brand name Fansidar, is a combination medication used to treat malaria. It contains sulfadoxine (a sulfonamide) and pyrimethamine (an antiprotozoal). For the treatment of malaria it is typically used a ...

), for malaria and toxoplasmosis. * Fuzeon (

enfuvirtide Enfuvirtide (INN) is an HIV fusion inhibitor, the first of a class of antiretroviral drugs used in combination therapy for the treatment of HIV-1 infection. It is marketed under the trade name Fuzeon (Roche). Structural formula Enfuvirtide is ...

), for

salvage therapy Salvage therapy, also known as rescue therapy, is a form of therapy given after an ailment does not respond to standard therapy. The most common diseases that require salvage therapy are HIV and various cancers. The term is not clearly defined; it ...

of HIV-1 infection. *

Gazyva Obinutuzumab, sold under the brand name Gazyva among others, is a humanized anti- CD20 monoclonal antibody, originated by GlycArt Biotechnology AG and developed by Roche as a cancer treatment. It can be used as a first-line treatment for chronic ...

(

), for chronic lymphocytic leukemia. * Hemlibra (

emicizumab Emicizumab (trade name Hemlibra) is a humanized bispecific antibody for the treatment of haemophilia A, developed by Genentech and Chugai (a subsidiary of Roche). A Phase I clinical trial found that it was well tolerated by healthy subjects. ...

), for haemophilia A. *

Herceptin Trastuzumab, sold under the brand name Herceptin among others, is a monoclonal antibody used to treat breast cancer and stomach cancer. It is specifically used for cancer that is HER2 receptor positive. It may be used by itself or together wi ...

( trastuzumab), for HER-2 positive breast cancer. * Hivid (

zalcitabine Zalcitabine (2′-3′-di deoxycytidine, ddC), also called dideoxycytidine, is a nucleoside analog reverse-transcriptase inhibitor (NRTI) sold under the trade name Hivid. Zalcitabine was the third antiretroviral to be approved by the Food and Drug ...

), for HIV-1 infection, later discontinued in 2006. * Inhibace ( cilazapril), for hypertension and congestive heart failure. * Invirase ( saquinavir), for HIV-1 infection. * Kadcyla ( trastuzumab emtansine), for HER-2 positive breast cancer. *

Klonopin Clonazepam, sold under the brand names Klonopin and Rivotril, is a medication used to prevent and treat seizures, panic disorder, anxiety disorders, and the movement disorder known as akathisia. It is a tranquilizer of the benzodiazepine clas ...

/Rivotril (

clonazepam Clonazepam, sold under the brand names Klonopin and Rivotril, is a medication used to prevent and treat seizures, panic disorder, anxiety disorders, and the movement disorder known as akathisia. It is a tranquilizer of the benzodiazepine clas ...

), for epilepsy and anxiety disorders. *

Kytril Granisetron is a serotonin 5-HT3 receptor antagonist used as an antiemetic to treat nausea and vomiting following chemotherapy and radiotherapy. Its main effect is to reduce the activity of the vagus nerve, which is a nerve that activates th ...

( granisetron), for chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting, licensed by

GlaxoSmithKline GSK plc, formerly GlaxoSmithKline plc, is a British multinational pharmaceutical and biotechnology company with global headquarters in London, England. Established in 2000 by a merger of Glaxo Wellcome and SmithKline Beecham. GSK is the tent ...

. * Lariam ( mefloquine), for malaria (both prevention and treatment). * Lexotanil (

bromazepam Bromazepam, sold under many brand names, is a benzodiazepine. It is mainly an anti-anxiety agent with similar side effects to diazepam (Valium). In addition to being used to treat anxiety or panic states, bromazepam may be used as a premedicant p ...

), for anxiety disorders. *

Librax Chlordiazepoxide/clidinium bromide (marketed as Librax) is a fixed-dose combination medication used to treat peptic ulcers, irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), and gastritis. It contains chlordiazepoxide and clidinium bromide. It helps relieve stomac ...

( Chlordiazepoxide/clidinium bromide), treating stomach ulcers, irritable bowel syndrome, or symptoms related to intestinal infection. *

Librium Chlordiazepoxide, trade name Librium among others, is a sedative and hypnotic medication of the benzodiazepine class; it is used to treat anxiety, insomnia and symptoms of withdrawal from alcohol and other drugs. Chlordiazepoxide has a medium to ...

(

chlordiazepoxide Chlordiazepoxide, trade name Librium among others, is a sedative and hypnotic medication of the benzodiazepine class; it is used to treat anxiety, insomnia and symptoms of withdrawal from alcohol and other drugs. Chlordiazepoxide has a medium to ...

), for anxiety disorders. *

Lucentis Ranibizumab, sold under the brand name Lucentis among others, is a monoclonal antibody fragment ( Fab) created from the same parent mouse antibody as bevacizumab. It is an anti-angiogenic that is approved to treat the "wet" type of age-related ...

(

ranibizumab Ranibizumab, sold under the brand name Lucentis among others, is a monoclonal antibody fragment ( Fab) created from the same parent mouse antibody as bevacizumab. It is an anti-angiogenic that is approved to treat the "wet" type of age-related ...

), for wet age-related macular degeneration (AMD). * Luxturna ( voretigene neparvovec), for Leber's congenital amaurosis. * MabThera ( rituximab), for B-cell chronic lymphocytic leukemia (and other hematological malignancies), non-Hodgkin lymphomas and rheumatoid arthritis. * Madopar/Prolopa ( levodopa/

benserazide Benserazide (also called Serazide or Ro 4-4602) is a peripherally acting aromatic L-amino acid decarboxylase or DOPA decarboxylase inhibitor, which is unable to cross the blood–brain barrier. It is on the World Health Organization's List of ...

), for Parkinson's disease. * Mircera (

methoxy polyethylene glycol-epoetin beta Methoxy polyethylene glycol-epoetin beta is the active ingredient of a drug marketed by Hoffmann-La Roche under the brand name Mircera. Mircera is a long-acting erythropoietin receptor activator (CERA) indicated for the treatment of patients with ...

), for anaemia associated with chronic kidney disease. * Naprosyn (

naproxen Naproxen is a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) used to treat pain, menstrual cramps, inflammatory diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis, gout and fever. It is taken orally. It is available in immediate and delayed release formula ...

), an NSAID used for pain relief and arthritis treatment. *Neulastim (

pegfilgrastim Pegfilgrastim, sold under the brand name Neulasta among others, is a PEGylated form of the recombinant human granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (GCSF) analog filgrastim. It serves to stimulate the production of white blood cells (neutrophils) ...

), for neutropenia. * Neupogen ( filgrastim), for neutropenia. *

Nutropin Growth hormone therapy refers to the use of growth hormone (GH) as a prescription medication—it is one form of hormone therapy. Growth hormone is a peptide hormone secreted by the pituitary gland that stimulates growth and cell reproduction. I ...

(

somatropin Growth hormone therapy refers to the use of growth hormone (GH) as a prescription medication—it is one form of hormone therapy. Growth hormone is a peptide hormone secreted by the pituitary gland that stimulates growth and cell reproduction. I ...

), for growth hormone deficiency. * Nutropin AQ (

), for growth hormone deficiency. *Nutropin Depot (

), for growth hormone deficiency, later discontinued in 2004 and replaced by Nutropin AQ. * Ocrevus (

ocrelizumab Ocrelizumab, sold under the brand name Ocrevus, is a medication used for the treatment of multiple sclerosis (MS). It is a humanized anti-CD20 monoclonal antibody. It targets CD20 marker on B lymphocytes and hence is an immunosuppressive drug. ...

), for MS. * Pegasys, (

peginterferon alfa-2a Pegylated interferon alfa-2a, sold under the brand name Pegasys among others, is medication used to treat hepatitis C and hepatitis B. For hepatitis C it is typically used together with ribavirin and cure rates are between 24 and 92%. For hepat ...

) for hepatitis B and C. *

Perjeta Pertuzumab, sold under the brand name Perjeta, is a monoclonal antibody used in combination with trastuzumab and docetaxel for the treatment of metastatic HER2-positive breast cancer; it also used in the same combination as a neoadjuvant in ear ...

( pertuzumab), for HER-2 positive breast cancer. * Polivy ( polatuzumab vedotin), for diffuse large B-cell lymphoma. * Protropin ( somatrem), for growth hormone deficiency, later discontinued in 2004 in favor of its successor, Nutropin. * Pulmozyme ( dornase alfa), for the improvement of pulmonary function in cystic fibrosis. * Raptiva (

efalizumab Efalizumab (trade name Raptiva, Genentech, Merck Serono) is a formerly available medication designed to treat autoimmune diseases, originally marketed to treat psoriasis. As implied by the suffix ''-zumab'', it is a recombinant humanized monoclo ...

), for psoriasis, later withdrawn in 2009 due to the risk of PML. * Recormon/NeoRecormon ( epoetin beta), for anemia. * Rituxan ( rituximab), for non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. * Rocaltrol (

calcitriol Calcitriol is the active form of vitamin D, normally made in the kidney. It is also known as 1,25-dihydroxycholecalciferol. It is a hormone which binds to and activates the vitamin D receptor in the nucleus of the cell, which then increases the ...

), for osteoporosis and hypocalcaemia. * Rocephin (

ceftriaxone Ceftriaxone, sold under the brand name Rocephin, is a third-generation cephalosporin antibiotic used for the treatment of a number of bacterial infections. These include middle ear infections, endocarditis, meningitis, pneumonia, bone and join ...

), a broad-spectrum cephalosporin antibiotic. * Roferon A (

), for some hematological malignancies (hairy cell leukemia, chronic myelogenous leukemia), certain solid tumors (including Kaposi's sarcoma), genital warts and chronic hepatitis C. * Rohypnol (

flunitrazepam Flunitrazepam, also known as Rohypnol among other names, is a benzodiazepine used to treat severe insomnia and assist with anesthesia. As with other hypnotics, flunitrazepam has been advised to be prescribed only for short-term use or by those ...

), for severe insomnia. * Rozlytrek ( entrectinib), for ROS1-positive non-small cell lung cancer and NTRK fusion-positive solid tumors. * Soriatane/Neotigason (

acitretin Acitretin (trade names Soriatane and Neotigason) is a second-generation retinoid. It is taken orally, and is typically used for psoriasis. Acitretin is an oral retinoid used in the treatment of severe resistant psoriasis. Because of the potentia ...

), for psoriasis. * Tamiflu ( oseltamivir), for influenza A and B (both treatment and prevention). * Tarceva (

erlotinib Erlotinib, sold under the brand name Tarceva among others, is a medication used to treat non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and pancreatic cancer. Specifically it is used for NSCLC with mutations in the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) � ...

), for various cancers. * Tasmar (

tolcapone Tolcapone, sold under the brand name Tasmar, is a medication used to treat Parkinson's disease (PD). It is a selective, potent and reversible nitrocatechol-type inhibitor of the enzyme catechol-''O''-methyltransferase (COMT). It has demonstr ...

), for parkinson's disease, licensed by

Mylan Mylan N.V. was a global generic and specialty pharmaceuticals company. In November 2020, Mylan merged with Upjohn, Pfizer's off-patent medicine division, to form Viatris. Previously, the company was domiciled in the Netherlands, with principal ...

and

Bausch Health Bausch Health Companies Inc. (formerly Valeant Pharmaceuticals International, Inc.) is a Canadian multinational specialty pharmaceutical company based in Laval, Quebec, Canada. It develops, manufactures and markets pharmaceutical products and ...

. * Tecentriq (

atezolizumab Atezolizumab, sold under the brand name Tecentriq, is a monoclonal antibody medication used to treat urothelial carcinoma, non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC), small cell lung cancer (SCLC), hepatocellula ...

), for non-small cell lung cancer. * TNKase (

tenecteplase Tenecteplase, sold under the trade names TNKase, Metalyse and Elaxim, is an enzyme used as a thrombolytic drug. Tenecteplase is a tissue plasminogen activator (tPA) produced by recombinant DNA technology using an established mammalian cell line ...

), for heart attacks. * Toradol ( ketorolac), for pain management. * Valcyte (

valganciclovir Valganciclovir, sold under the brand name Valcyte among others, is an antiviral medication used to treat cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection in those with HIV/AIDS or following organ transplant. It is often used long term as it only suppresses rath ...

), for cytomegalovirus infection. * Valium ( diazepam), for anxiety disorders, alcohol withdrawal, status epilepticus and other conditions. *

Venclexta Venetoclax, sold under the brand names Venclexta and Venclyxto, is a medication used to treat adults with chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL), small lymphocytic lymphoma (SLL), or acute myeloid leukemia (AML). The most common side effects are lo ...

(

venetoclax Venetoclax, sold under the brand names Venclexta and Venclyxto, is a medication used to treat adults with chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL), small lymphocytic lymphoma (SLL), or acute myeloid leukemia (AML). The most common side effects are lo ...

), for chronic lymphocytic leukemia. *

Versed ''Versed'' is a book of poetry written by Rae Armantrout and published by Wesleyan University Press in 2009 (see 2009 in poetry). It won the 2009 National Book Critics Circle Award for Poetry and the 2010 Pulitzer Prize for Poetry after being ...

( midazolam), for insomnia and

. * Vesanoid (

tretinoin Tretinoin, also known as all-''trans'' retinoic acid (ATRA), is a medication used for the treatment of acne and acute promyelocytic leukemia. For acne, it is applied to the skin as a cream, gel or ointment. For leukemia, it is taken by mouth f ...

), for acute promyelocytic leukemia. * Viracept ( nelfinavir), for HIV-1 infection, licensed by Pfizer and

ViiV Healthcare ViiV Healthcare ( ) is a pharmaceutical company specializing in the development of therapies for HIV infection that was created as a joint venture by Pfizer and GlaxoSmithKline in November 2009 with both companies transferring their HIV assets ...

. * Xeloda (

capecitabine Capecitabine, sold under the brand name Xeloda among others, is a chemotherapy medication used to treat breast cancer, gastric cancer and colorectal cancer. For breast cancer it is often used together with docetaxel. It is taken by mouth. Co ...

), for breast and colorectal cancer. * Xenical (

orlistat Orlistat, sold under the brand name Xenical among others, is a medication used to treat obesity. Its primary function is preventing the absorption of fats from the human diet by acting as a lipase inhibitor, thereby reducing caloric intake. It ...

), for obesity. * Xofluza (

baloxavir marboxil Baloxavir marboxil, sold under the brand name Xofluza, is an antiviral medication for treatment of influenza A and influenza B flu. It was approved for medical use both in Japan and in the United States in 2018, and is taken as a single dose b ...

), for influenza A and B (both treatment and prevention). *

Xolair Omalizumab, sold under the brand name Xolair, is a medication used to treat asthma, nasal polyps, and urticaria (hives). Omalizumab is a recombinant DNA-derived humanized IgG1k monoclonal antibody that specifically binds to free human immunogl ...

(

omalizumab Omalizumab, sold under the brand name Xolair, is a medication used to treat asthma, nasal polyps, and urticaria (hives). Omalizumab is a recombinant DNA-derived humanized IgG1k monoclonal antibody that specifically binds to free human immunog ...

), for asthma. *

Zelboraf Vemurafenib (INN, marketed as Zelboraf) is an inhibitor of the B-Raf enzyme developed by Plexxikon (now part of Daiichi-Sankyo) and Genentech for the treatment of late-stage melanoma.; The name "vemurafenib" comes from V600E mutated BRAF i ...

(

vemurafenib Vemurafenib ( INN, marketed as Zelboraf) is an inhibitor of the B-Raf enzyme developed by Plexxikon (now part of Daiichi-Sankyo) and Genentech for the treatment of late-stage melanoma.; The name "vemurafenib" comes from V600E mutated BRAF i ...

), for late-stage V600E BRAF mutation-positive melanoma. * Zenapax (

daclizumab Daclizumab (trade name Zinbryta) is a therapeutic humanized monoclonal antibody which was used for the treatment of adults with relapsing forms of multiple sclerosis (MS). Daclizumab works by binding to CD25, the alpha subunit of the IL-2 receptor ...

), for the prevention of acute transplant rejection. Diabetes management products produced by Roche under the

Accu-Chek F. Hoffmann-La Roche AG, commonly known as Roche, is a Swiss multinational healthcare company that operates worldwide under two divisions: Pharmaceuticals and Diagnostics. Its holding company, Roche Holding AG, has shares listed on the SIX S ...

brand include Accu-Chek Mobile, Accu-Chek Aviva, Accu-Chek Compact Plus, Accu-Chek Aviva Expert, Accu-Chek Active, Accu-Chek Advantage, Accu-Chek Performa, Accu-Chek Aviva Nano, Accu-Chek Performa Nano blood glucose monitors. Accu-Chek Spirit and Accu-Chek Combo insulin pumps. Accu-Chek 360 and SmartPix diabetes management software. Other products include: * Cobas Mira

Price-fixing conspiracy

Stanley Adams, Roche's World Product Manager in Basel, contacted the

European Economic Community The European Economic Community (EEC) was a regional organization created by the Treaty of Rome of 1957,Today the largely rewritten treaty continues in force as the ''Treaty on the functioning of the European Union'', as renamed by the Lisbo ...

in 1973 with evidence that Roche had been breaking

antitrust laws Competition law is the field of law that promotes or seeks to maintain market competition by regulating anti-competitive conduct by companies. Competition law is implemented through public and private enforcement. It is also known as antitrust l ...

, engaging in price fixing and market sharing for vitamins with its competitors. Roche was fined accordingly, but a bungle on the part of the EEC allowed the company to discover that it was Adams who had blown the whistle. He was arrested for unauthorised disclosure — an offence under Swiss law — and imprisoned. His wife, having learnt that he might face decades in jail, committed suicide. In 1999 the firm pleaded guilty to participation in a worldwide conspiracy to raise and fix prices for

vitamins A vitamin is an organic molecule (or a set of molecules closely related chemically, i.e. vitamers) that is an essential micronutrient that an organism needs in small quantities for the proper functioning of its metabolism. Essential nutri ...

sold in the US and globally. Hoffmann-La Roche paid $500 million in criminal fines to the United States.

Collaborative research

In addition to internal research and development activities F. Hoffmann-La Roche is also involved in publicly funded collaborative research projects, with other industrial and academic partners. One example in the area of non-clinical safety assessment is the InnoMed PredTox. The company is expanding its activities in joint research projects within the framework of the

Innovative Medicines Initiative The Innovative Medicines Initiative (IMI) is a European initiative to improve the competitive situation of the European Union in the field of pharmaceutical research. The IMI is a joint initiative ( public-private partnership) of the DG Resear ...

EFPIA The European Federation of Pharmaceutical Industries and Associations (EFPIA) is a Brussels-based trade association and lobbying organisation, founded in 1978 and representing the research-based pharmaceutical industry operating in Europe. Throug ...

and the European Commission.

References

External links

*
Roche Diagnostics
{{authority control Multinational companies headquartered in Switzerland Price fixing convictions Pharmaceutical companies of Switzerland Pharmaceutical companies established in 1896 Orphan drug companies Life sciences industry Swiss brands Companies listed on the SIX Swiss Exchange