1896
Working with the chemist Emil C. Barell, pharmacist Carl Schaerges demonstrates the presence of iodine in thyroid extracts. This results in Roche’s first patent and scientific publications and in Aiodin, the earliest in a series of thyroid preparations.

1910
The Hoffmann-La Roche Chemical Works, founded in 1905 in downtown Manhattan as an importing and trading company for Roche products from Europe, establishes a scientific division for researching new compounds.

1921
The company introduces its first product of original research, the pain reliever Allonal.

1924
The Roche-Studien-Stiftung is established, providing young scientists with the necessary funding for independent research projects in biomedicine.

1933
Tadeusz Reichstein (Nobel Prize winner 1950) achieves the first total (or industrial) synthesis of vitamin C while working for a food factory and approaches Roche Basel with his discovery. Roche develops a process for bulk production of synthetic vitamins and begins making vitamin C in Nutley.

1940
The company’s first group for experimental cancer research is established within Nutley’s chemotherapy unit.

1946
Opening of a biochemical research centre in Tutzing, Upper Bavaria, by Boehringer Mannheim.

1949
The first international Roche research conference is held in Basel.

1953
Development of the first test for measuring blood alcohol levels.

1955
Roche Basel creates a department of experimental medicine consisting of three sections: pharmacology, chemotherapy I and II. In addition, a biochemistry department is founded.

Mid 1950s
A new group of sedatives, known as tranquillisers, is introduced into clinical use. Discovery and development of benzodiazepines, which create a new era in psychopharmacology.

1956
Launch of Glukotest, a test stick for measuring glucose in urine.

1960
Development of the GOD (glucose oxidase) method, the first enzymatic glucose assay.

1960
Launch of the first benzodiazepine compound, Librium, which acts against anxiety and tension with minimal sedating effect.

1962
Product introduction of Fluorouracil Roche, the company’s first anticancer drug, paving the way for future activities in the field of cancer chemotherapy.

1963
Introduction of Valium, a sedative and anxiolytic drug, which belongs to the benzodiazepine family.

1968
Nutley opens the Roche Institute of Molecular Biology.

1968
The Roche Research Management Group decides to set up a research centre in Japan.

1971
The Basel Institute for Immunology is formally inaugurated.

1973
The first genetic engineering experiment is reported in California by Herbert Boyer, a future cofounder of Genentech, and Stanley Cohen.

1974
Prix Galien awarded for the breakthrough drug Madopar for Parkinson’s disease as recognition of Roche’s efforts to eliminate severe side effects associated with previous therapies.

1975
Pure interferon alpha is obtained from cell extracts.

1975
Research in molecular biology is started in Tutzing, Germany.

1975
César Milstein and Georges Köhler (both Nobel Prize winners 1984) report the invention of the hybridoma technique for the production of monoclonal antibodies.

1976
Herbert Boyer and Robert Swanson found Genentech, the first biotechnology company, South of San Francisco.

1980
Pure interferon alpha protein is isolated by Roche scientists. Genentech and Roche start a joint project to produce interferon alpha in genetically engineered bacteria.

1982
Rocephin, an antibiotic of the cephalosporin class, is launched in Switzerland only four years after its discovery.

1984
Niels Kaj Jerne, the first director of the Basel Institute for Immunology, is awarded the Nobel Prize for medicine for his seminal work in immunology. Sharing the award with him are César Milstein and Georges Köhler for their discovery of monoclonal antibodies.

1984
Prix Galien awarded for Tigason, the first truly effective treatment for severe forms of psoriasis.

1985
World premiere of Reflotron, the highly innovative device for use in doctors’ offices. In the same year, the company is awarded German industry’s Innovation Prize for Reflotron.

1986
An HIV test for identifying the AIDS virus is launched.

1986
First genetically engineered product Roferon-A (interferon alpha-2a) on the market.

1987
Susumu Tonegawa, a researcher at the Basel Institute for Immunology from 1972 to 1981, is awarded the Nobel Prize for medicine for his work on antibody gene segments. His fundamental discoveries later make it possible to produce humanised antibodies.

1988
Prix Galien awarded for Anexate, the benzodiazepine antagonist which offers dose-controlled reversal of the effect of benzodiazepines.

1989
The Roche International Clinical Research Center opens in Strasbourg. It is responsible for conducting clinical trials and preparing international regulatory filings in several therapeutic areas.

1990
Roche acquires a majority shareholding in Genentech. The company remains autonomous.

1991
Roche acquires the worldwide marketing rights to the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) technique from Cetus Corporation and develops it for industrial use. Capable of detecting even minute amounts of genetic material, this technique opens the way to developing diagnostic tests that are fast, sensitive and specific.

1992
The Diagnostics Division launches the first PCR-based diagnostic tests under the Amplicor trademark.

1993
Neupogen is awarded the European Prix Galien, two years after winning the prize in the United Kingdom and one year after receiving the Belgian and the French Prix Galien.

1994
In Nutley a new science building, with some 400 laboratories, is opened.

1995
Roche scientists discover a new class of therapeutics, protease inhibitors, for the treatment of AIDS.

1997
Humanised monoclonal antibodies MabThera (cancer therapy) and Zenapax (prevention of organ rejection after transplantation) are launched.

1998
The introduction of innovative diabetes monitoring products provide diabetics with more convenience, enhanced diabetes management and virtually pain-free testing.

1999
Herceptin, a monoclonal antibody for the treatment of metastatic breast cancer, comes to market. It is the first oncogene-targeted breast cancer treatment with proven survival benefits.

1999
Launch of Tamiflu, the first neuraminidase inhibitor in a pill form, designed to treat all common strains of influenza.

1999
The European Prix Galien received for the development of Invirase, the world’s first HIV protease inhibitor and the French Prix Galien for MabThera, a highly innovative monoclonal antibody for the treatment of non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma.

2000
The Roche Center for Medical Genomics is established, succeeding the Basel Institute for Immunology. The new centre aims at increasing Roche’s efforts in genetics and genomics.

2000
New genotyping tool developed by Roche. The tool is expected to speed up practical applications of genomic research by decreasing assay time and increasing the efficiency of genome analysis.

2000
Roche launches a new proteomics initiative to create individualised healthcare solutions. This major initiative will link proteomics research in the Pharmaceuticals and Diagnostics Divisions.

2000
Inauguration of the new Roche Pharma Research building in Basel, designed by the Basel architects Herzog & de Meuron. Chemists and biologists based in the new building will employ leading-edge technology to study new active substances.

2001
Pegasys, a pegylated interferon, is introduced for the treatment of chronic hepatitis C as monotherapy as well as in combination with Copegus (anti-viral ribavirin).

2002
Roche Diagnostics acquires broad Human Papillomavirus (HPV) patent portfolio from the Institut Pasteur.

2002
Roche and Chugai sign a broad-ranging collaboration agreement on small molecule drug research, closely collaborating to develop common technology platforms to facilitate the creation and advancement of research projects.

2002
Introduction of Cobas Taqman, an automated PCR system, designed to automate in vitro diagnostic assays utilising real-time PCR technology for the detection and quantification of infectious agents that cause disease.

2002
Herceptin, a novel treatment for an aggressive form of advanced breast cancer, is awarded the Prix Galien in the United Kingdom.

2002
Scientists at three Roche research centres along with colleagues at Washington University in St. Louis, Missouri, and the Center for National Genotyping in Paris, France, identify 18,035 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) – variations that help determine genetic makeup – of the mouse genome.

2003
Roche introduces the AmpliChip CYP450 – the world’s first pharmacogenomic microarray for clinical applications to identify naturally occurring variations in genes.

2003
Fuzeon is launched, representing a new class of HIV treatment – fusion inhibitors.

2004
Introduction of Avastin for first-line treatment of metastatic cancer of the colon or rectum. This innovative therapy works by preventing the formation of new blood vessels, a process called angiogenesis.

2004
Roche scientists discover a new class of cancer drugs, HER1/EGFR inhibitors. As the first drug in this class, Tarceva shows promising results in phase III trials for advanced lung cancer.

2004
Fuzeon was granted the International Prix Galien as well as the national Prix Galien medals in Portugal, Netherlands, Belgium and UK.

All brand names mentioned enjoy legal protection.