2001 | BZ Group sell stake in Roche to Novartis | 20% of Roche bearer shares, representing around 3.7% of issued Roche securities (bearer shares and non-voting equity securities combined) are sold to Basel's Novartis. For Roche, the current majority holding remains unaffected. |
2001 | Product introduction: Pegasys, hepatitis C treatment | Pegasys, a pegylated interferon, is introduced for the treatment of chronic hepatitis C. |
2001 | Acquisition: Amira Medical, USA | Amira Medical, a privately-held corporation active in the diabetes monitoring business, is acquired to complement Roche Diagnostics' expertise in the blood glucose monitoring sector. |
2001 | Alliance: Roche and Chugai create new Japanese pharma leader with global access | Roche and Chugai enter into an alliance to create a leading research driven Japanese pharmaceutical company. The new enterprise - formed by the merger of Nippon Roche and Chugai and named Chugai Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. - will be the 5th largest pharmaceuticals company in the world's second largest pharma market. The alliance is confirmed at Chugai's annual general meeting on June 27, 2002 and successfully launched on October 1, 2002. |
2002 | Roche participates at the Swiss National Exhibition Expo.02 | The Roche pavilion, Garden of Eden - Fascination of Health, enables visitors to gain first-hand insights into the current scientific knowledge about health and its determining factors. During the 8 month exhibition, close to 1 million visitors came to see Roche's presentation in Yverdon-les-Bains in the Western part of Switzerland. |
2002 | BioXell - a new biotech company started in Italy | Formed by a spin-off of Roche's R&D organisation Roche Milano Ricerche, BioXell combines extensive industry experience with a competitive edge in immunology and aims to become a leading biopharmaceutical R&D company in this field. |
2002 | Collaboration agreement: Isotechnika, Canada | The agreement focuses on the global co-development of Isotechnika's innovative transplantation medicine ISATX247. ISATX247, a novel calcineurin inhibitor in early Phase II clinical development, is an immunosuppressive therapy in organ transplantation and in the treatment of auto-immune diseases. |
2002 | Product introduction: Cobas TaqMan, automated PCR system | Receiving FDA clearance, the instrument is designed to automate in vitro diagnostic assays utilising real time Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) technology for the detection and quantification of infectious agents that cause disease. |
2002 | Award for sponsoring medical care project in South Africa | Emerging from just three coaches in 1993 to the 600-ton, 16-coach train that it is today, complete with medical, dental and psychiatric clinics, the Phelophepa Health Care Train of South Africa brings basic healthcare and health education to poor communities in the more remote parts of the country. |
2002 | Product introduction: Pegasys, hepatitis C treatment | Pegasys is approved by the European Commission (June) and the FDA (December) as monotherapy as well as in combination with Copegus (anti-viral ribavirin). |
2002 | Sale of Vitamins & Fine Chemicals Division to DSM, completed 2003 | As the world's leading supplier of vitamins and carotenoids, the division is sold to the Dutch Life Science and Performance Materials company DSM. The division, which will become a unit of DSM, remains headquartered in Kaiseraugst (Switzerland). |
2002 | Acquisition of promising cancer drugs portfolio from Antisoma, UK | The broad strategic alliance which grants Roche exclusive worldwide rights to the Antisoma pipeline of oncology products. Products include Pemtumomab, a Phase III development for ovarian cancer, and three additional oncology compounds, Therex, TheraFab and DMXAA that are in Phase I clinical trials. |
2003 | Collaboration agreement: Affymetrix, USA | The agreement grants non-exclusive rights and access to Affymetrix’ patented GeneChip technologies to develop and commercialise diagnostic products in a broad range of human disease areas such as cancer, osteoporosis, cardiovascular, metabolic, infectious diseases and inflammatory diseases. |
2003 | Product introduction: Fuzeon, HIV treatment | Fuzeon, a novel treatment for HIV-1, is approved by the FDA (March) and the European Commission (May). Representing the first new class – fusion inhibitors – of anti-HIV treatments in seven years, Fuzeon blocks the virus from entering the human immune cell, preventing HIV replication that can devastate the immune systems of HIV infected individuals. |
2003 | Collaboration agreement: Epigenomics, Germany | The collaboration agreement focuses on the development of diagnostic products for early cancer detection, classification and treatment response, building upon a range of molecular diagnostic and pharmacogenomic cancer products based on Epigenomics’ DNA-methylation technologies. |
2003 | Acquisition: Disetronic, Switzerland | Disetronic, a world leader in the research and development of insulin pumps and injection systems for the treatment of diabetes, is acquired. Situated in Burgdorf, Switzerland, the infusion systems business will become an important centre in the Roche Diabetes Care network; the second business – injection systems – is, in conjunction with the acquisition, sold to the founder of Disetronic. |
2003 | Product introduction: AmpliChip CYP450 | The world’s first microarray for clinical applications – the AmpliChip CYP450 – is launched in the U.S. (2003) and Europe (2004). The product enables clinical diagnostic laboratories to identify certain naturally occurring variations (called polymorphisms) in two genes, the CYP2D6 and CYP2C19, which play a major role in drug metabolism. |
2003 | Acquisition: Igen, USA, completed 2004 | The acquisition secures the rights to the ECL (electrochemiluminescence)- technology used in the Elecsys diagnostics product line. Upon completion of the acquisition, a newly formed public company is spun off from Igen, having ECL patents, the historic Igen activities in the biodefense, life science, industrial and clinical testing business areas. |
2003 | First Roche Commission project launched | A novel cultural sponsorship project to be known as Roche Commissions is launched, with internationally renowned composers of contemporary music and leading cultural institutions collaborating in a joint project. |
2003 | Product introduction: Bondronat, osteoporosis & cancer treatment | Bondronat (ibandronic acid, bisphosphonate) receives European approval for the prevention of skeletal events (pathological fractures, bone complications) in patients with breast cancer and bone metastases. |
2004 | New R&D facility in Shanghai | In Roche inaugurates its new research center for the Pharmaceuticals Division in Shanghai, the first R&D lab of a western pharmaceutical company in China. |
2004 | New production facilities planned in Basel and Penzberg | The construction of two new biotech production centres in Basel (inauguration in 2007) and Penzberg is started. The facilities will initially be used to manufacture the active ingredients of the anti-cancer medicines Avastin and Herceptin. |
2004 | Sale of Consumer Health business to Bayer | Roche sells its consumer health business (over-the-counter medicines) to Bayer Consumer Care. The transaction includes all assets of RCH and the five pharmaceutical production factories Grenzach (Germany), Gaillard (France), Pilar (Argentina), Casablanca (Morocco) and Jakarta (Indonesia). |
2004 | International Prix Galien for Fuzeon | Fuzeon, a highly innovative treatment for HIV-1, is awarded the international Prix Galien. |
2004 | Collaboration agreement: Japan Tobacco, Japan | The agreement focuses on the late-stage development and commercialisation of JTT-705, JT's innovative cholesteryl ester transfer protein (CETP) inhibitor, for the treatment of dyslipidemia. |
2004 | Product introduction: Tarceva, lung cancer treatment | Tarceva (erlotinib) is approved by the FDA for the treatment of patients with locally advanced or metastatic non-small cell lung cancer after failure of at least one prior chemotherapy regimen. |
2004 | Product introduction: Avastin, colon cancer treatment | Avastin (bevacizumab, rhuMAb-VEGF) is approved by the Swiss health authority Swissmedic for the treatment of patients with previously untreated metastatic cancer of the colon or rectum. |
2004 | First separate Annual Sustainability Report, Corporate Sustainability website launched | Based on the triple bottom line approach of social and environmental responsibility, combined with economic viability, report as well as internet section are designed to provide a detailed overview on the many achievements made and initiatives launched by the company towards sustainable development and improved corporate governance. |
2004 | Roche selected for inclusion into Dow Jones Sustainability Indexes | Roche has been selected as an index component of the Dow Jones Sustainability World Indexes (DJSI World) and the Dow Jones STOXX Sustainability Indexes (DJSI STOXX). This follows Roche's membership of the FTSE4Good Index series. |
2004 | Product introduction: AmpliChip CYP450 Test in EU | The world's first microarray for clinical applications - the AmpliChip CYP450 - is launched in the EU. This test analyses a patient's Cytochrome P450 2D6 and 2C19 genotypes from genomic DNA extracted from a blood sample. Test results will allow physicians to consider unique genetic information from patients in selecting medications and doses of medications for a wide variety of common conditions such as cardiac diseases, pain and cancer.
The FDA clearance follows in January 2005 |
2005 | Clinical trials and results database launched | A publicly available global clinical trial protocol registry and results database is launched to increase transparency on new Roche Phase II to Phase IV studies, using an independent host, CenterWatch. |
2005 | Product introduction: Boniva/Bonviva, osteoporosis treatment | Boniva/Bonviva (ibandronic acid) is approved by the FDA (March) and the European Commission (June) for the treatment of postmenopausal osteoporosis. |
2005 | Collaboration agreement: 454 Life Sciences, USA | The agreement focuses on the development, promotion, sale, and distribution of 454 Life Sciences' nanotechnology-based Genome Sequencing Systems, including proprietary kits and reagents. The system's technology enables researchers to sequence genomes and long DNA sequences up to 100 times faster than current commercial platforms. |
2005 | Acquisition: GlycArt Biotechnology, Switzerland | GlycArt's unique technology for enhancing the efficacy of antibodies will further strengthen Roche's expertise in therapeutic antibody research and development. |
2005 | Donation of Tamiflu to the WHO | 3 million treatments, or 30 million doses, of the antiviral Tamiflu (oseltamivir) are donated to the World Health Organization (WHO). This "Rapid Response Stockpile" can be used by the WHO at the site of a new and potentially pandemic outbreak of human influenza, in order to reduce morbidity and mortality and to contain or delay the spread of an outbreak. |
2005 | Roche becomes founding member of ICRC Corporate Support Group | Roche has joined with several other companies in forging a strategic, long-term partnership with the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC).The partnership is committed to supporting the humanitarian mission of the ICRC. |
2005 | Collaboration agreement: BioCryst, USA | The agreement focuses on the development and commercialisation of BioCryst's phase I compound, BCX-4208, for the prevention of acute rejection in transplantation and for the treatment of autoimmune diseases. |
2005 | Product introduction: next generation Accu-Chek | The next generation of Accu-Chek diabetes management products - Accu-Chek Aviva, Accu-Check Compact Plus - is launched worldwide. |
2006 | Collaboration agreement: Amira Pharmaceuticals, USA | The agreement focuses on the collaboration for targets in inflammatory diseases. Amira retains the option to license specified clinical compounds from Roche. |
2006 | Donation of Tamiflu to the WHO | Further to the 2005 donation (3 million treatments), additional 2 million treatment courses are donated to the World Health Organization (WHO). |
2006 | Collaboration agreement: Actelion, Switzerland | The agreement targets the co-development and co-promotion of Actelion's phase I S1P1 receptor antagonist, a novel compound for multiple autoimmune disorders. |
2006 | Roche development plans: office high-rise in Basel | New office high-rise and new research and development building are at the centre of Roche's continued expansion at its Basel headquarters location. |
2006 | First Technology Transfers enables local production of HIV medicine for Africa | As part of its ongoing commitment to increase access to HIV medicine and to address the growing need for second-line treatment in sub-Saharan Africa, the 'AIDS Technology Transfer Initiative' is started. The aim is to share the knowledge Roche has developed to manufacture second-line HIV medicine and provide hands-on guidance to local manufacturers. |
2006 | Partnership with UNICEF | UNICEF and Roche announce a partnership to improve the lives of children orphaned by AIDS in Africa. |
2006 | Collaboration agreement: InterMune, USA | The agreement focuses on the collaboration for the development and commercialization of products from InterMune's Hepatitis C (HCV) protease inhibitor program. |
2007 | Acquisition: 454 Life Sciences (USA) | The acquisition gives Roche Diagnostics access to 454's future generations of sequencing products and the use of 454 Sequencing for in-vitro diagnostic applications. |
2007 | Acquisition: Therapeutic Human Polyclonals, Inc. (USA) | The deal strengthens Roche's position in innovative antibody research. |
2007 | Acquisition: BioVeris (USA) | The acquisition allows Roche Diagnostics to expand its immunochemistry business from the human diagnostics field into new market segments such as life science research, life science development, patient self-testing, veterinary testing, drug discovery, drug development and clinical trials. |
2007 | Collaboration agreement: Transgene (USA) | The agreement focuses on the development and commercialization of products from Transgene's therapeutic vaccine program against Human Papilloma Virus-mediated diseases. |
2007 | Product introduction: Mircera, anemia product | Mircera (methoxy polyethylene glycol-epoetin beta) receives an approvable letter from the FDA (April) and a positive opinion fro the European Commission (April) for the treatment of anemia. |
2007 | Acquisition: NimbleGen (USA) | The deal gives Roche access to DNA microarrays which are a widely used as discovery and research tool in pharma research for the understanding of genetic causes of disease and predisposition factors, comparative genomic analysis and identification of potential drug targets. |
2007 | Collaboration agreement: Toyama Chemical (Japan) | The agreement focuses on the worldwide research, development and commercialization of Toyama Chemical's novel oral rheumatoid arthritis agent T-5224 which the potential to block signs and symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis as well as the progressive destruction of joint and bone. |
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