Roche ranked again the most sustainable healthcare company in the Dow Jones Sustainability Indices

• Roche recognised as a sustainability leader for the ninth year in a row
• Sustainability is an integral part of Roche's business strategy
• The company performed particularly well in the categories addressing the burden of healthcare costs, ethical marketing practices and climate strategy

For the ninth consecutive year, Roche (SIX: RO, ROG; OTCQX: RHHBY) has been recognised as Group Leader in sustainability within the Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences Industry index of the Dow Jones Sustainability Indices (DJSI). This is based on an in-depth analysis of economic, social and environmental performance. The DJSI family of indices serves as a benchmark for investors who integrate sustainability considerations into their portfolios.

Roche has maintained its leadership through its excellent sustainability strategy, which is fully embedded in the company’s business and culture. This year’s assessment emphasised that Roche performed particularly well in the categories addressing the burden of healthcare costs, ethical marketing practices and climate strategy.

“We are very proud of being recognised once again for our sustainability efforts,” says Roche CEO Severin Schwan. “For Roche, one important area of sustainability is providing access to healthcare. For over 120 years Roche has been committed to improving lives by developing better medicines and diagnostics. This is only meaningful if our medicines and tests reach the people who need them. I believe that broad access can only be achieved through a shared responsibility requiring all partners to work together.”

Driving access to healthcare supports progress towards the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) adopted by the United Nations in autumn 2015. Roche is committed to supporting a number of the SDGs in line with its business strategy; in particular SDG3, which aims at ensuring healthy lives and promoting well-being for all.

In order to improve global healthcare, Roche partners with different stakeholders to develop sustainable access plans tailored to local needs. Funding is a key challenge. One example to overcome this hurdle is Roche’s collaboration with private insurance companies to create private funding solutions in countries where public coverage is inadequate. By mid 2017, more than 23 types of cancer insurance policies were available in different countries and millions of people now have coverage.

For over 120 years, sustainability has been an integral part of Roche’s business. Roche follows a holistic approach when managing sustainability: In addition to improving access to products, the company’s strategy also focuses on achieving continuous progress in areas such as social responsibility, environmental protection, supply chain sustainability, people attraction and retention. Examples of our activities in sustainability areas can be found here: http://www.roche.com/sustainability/our_reporting/un-sdgs.htm.

About the Dow Jones Sustainability Indices (DJSI)

This global ranking is published annually by the S&P Dow Jones Indices and RobecoSAM and measures the performance of the world’s sustainability leaders. RobecoSAM invites 3,484 publicly traded companies to participate. Companies are selected for the indices according to a systematic Corporate Sustainability Assessment (CSA) performed by RobecoSAM. Only firms that lead their industries based on this assessment are included in the indices. This is determined by a comprehensive assessment of long-term economic, environmental and social criteria that account for general as well as industry-specific sustainability trends.

About Roche

Roche is a global pioneer in pharmaceuticals and diagnostics focused on advancing science to improve people’s lives. The combined strengths of pharmaceuticals and diagnostics under one roof have made Roche the leader in personalised healthcare – a strategy that aims to fit the right treatment to each patient in the best way possible.

Roche is the world’s largest biotech company, with truly differentiated medicines in oncology, immunology, infectious diseases, ophthalmology and diseases of the central nervous system. Roche is also the world leader in in vitro diagnostics and tissue-based cancer diagnostics, and a frontrunner in diabetes management.

Founded in 1896, Roche continues to search for better ways to prevent, diagnose and treat diseases and make a sustainable contribution to society.

The company also aims to improve patient access to medical innovations by working with all relevant stakeholders. Thirty medicines developed by Roche are included in the World Health Organization Model Lists of Essential Medicines, among them life-saving antibiotics, antimalarials and cancer medicines. Roche has been recognised as the Group Leader in sustainability within the Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences Industry nine years in a row by the Dow Jones Sustainability Indices (DJSI).

The Roche Group, headquartered in Basel, Switzerland, is active in over 100 countries and in 2016 employed more than 94,000 people worldwide. In 2016, Roche invested CHF 9.9 billion in R&D and posted sales of CHF 50.6 billion. Genentech, in the United States, is a wholly owned member of the Roche Group. Roche is the majority shareholder in Chugai Pharmaceutical, Japan. For more information, please visit www.roche.com.

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