Ophthalmology
We are focused on pioneering therapies to prevent vision loss, working to discover and develop innovative solutions, aiming to redefine standards of care for people living with vision impairment.

Challenge

Worldwide, more than 1 billion people live with vision impairment that could have been prevented or has yet to be addressed.1 Millions of people live with eye conditions that increase their risk of sight loss.2 Visual impairment can have a devastating impact on those people affected, including patients and their caregivers.

Change in sight

With new approaches to the diagnosis and treatment of ophthalmic conditions being explored as we speak, this is a global health challenge that we at Roche are committed to and excited to tackle, alongside the low vision community.

A global issue

Focus

Our team is built around the experience of ophthalmologists, ophthalmic surgeons and retinal specialists, who bring on-the-ground insights to their work at Roche every day. We are innovating to improve diagnosis and transform patient experience and outcomes – by understanding the biology of ophthalmic conditions and what this means in practice to people living with vision loss.

Personalised approach

We partner with researchers, clinicians and patient groups from the low vision community to ensure we understand the needs of people experiencing vision loss - so we can try to meet these needs through our approach to innovation, our clinical trial programme and our medicines and technologies in development.

This means examining new data and analytical sources such as real world data, exploring new technologies like artificial intelligence and machine learning. Importantly, we're developing digital health solutions to help better detect and monitor disease progression and pioneering new therapeutic options like gene therapy, working to deliver a personalised approach to eye health.

References

  1. Word Health Organization. Blindness and vision impairment. [Internet; cited September 2021]. Available from: https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/blindness-and-visual-impairment

  2. Flaxman SR, Bourne RRA, Resnikoff S, et al. Global causes of blindness and distance vision impairment 1990-2020: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Lancet Glob Health. 2017; 5:1221-1234

A top priority

Featured stories

Hear more about Roche's unique approach to ophthalmology from CEO Severin Schwan
Meet Sascha Fauser, Global Head of Ophthalmology, Roche Pharma Research and Early Development
Christopher Brittain
Dr Christopher Brittain
Vice President, Global Head of Ophthalmology Product Development
Rachel Frizberg
Senior Vice President of Global Immunology, Infectious Disease and Ophthalmology
Jacqueline Ackermann
Senior Group Director, Scientific Communications
Carlos Quezada-Ruiz
Carlos Quezada-Ruiz
Senior Medical Director
Jake Schumacher
Jake Schumacher
Executive Marketing Director, Ophthalmology
Image of Iris Van den Brande
Iris Van den Brande
Global Patient Partnership Principal Director, Ophthalmology
Stefan Scheidl
Franchise Head, Global Medical Affairs, Ophthalmology
Image of Ed Thorpe
Ed Thorpe
Integrated Strategy Leader
Nilesh Mehta
Therapeutic Area Head, Ophthalmology
Carl Glittenberg
Senior Principal Medical Director, Ophthalmology
Pierre-Alain Delley
Lifecycle Leader Ophthalmology
Amanda Matse-Orere
Access Strategy Leader
Barbara Hofstetter
Squad Lead, Ophthalmology

Meet Ophthalmology team

Stories of

Ophthalmology

See more stories

More focus areas

View all focus areas

Discover more