Roche heritage
Roche is…
A global pioneer in pharmaceuticals and diagnostics advancing science to improve people’s lives — doing now what patients need next.
A global pioneer in pharmaceuticals and diagnostics advancing science to improve people’s lives — doing now what patients need next.
A global pioneer in pharmaceuticals and diagnostics advancing science to improve people’s lives — doing now what patients need next.
Founded in 1896 as a research-driven company committed to innovation, F. Hoffman-La Roche & Co. quickly became a multinational, then international organization.
Roche’s operations were hindered significantly by World War I, but its optimism and vision persevered, as did its standing in the scientific community.
Research, vitamin and pharmaceutical production led to the development of our first anti-cancer drug in 1962, launching our activities in the field of cancer care.
Just three years later, Roche diversified across the entire spectrum of healthcare, establishing electronic medical instrument groups in Switzerland and the United States, including a diagnostics department in 1968.
Apart from developing diagnostic tests and automatic analyzers, objectives included setting up service laboratories to perform clinical analyses for hospitals and office-based physicians.
Starting in the mid-1990s, we developed a series of innovative drugs for cancer treatment. Herceptin®, a novel treatment for metastatic breast cancer, targets and blocks the function of HER2. MabThera® increases the time patients with the most common form of leukemia live without their cancer progressing.
In 2000, Roche restructured to focus on biotech through two core businesses: diagnostics and pharmaceuticals.
Combining the strengths and expertise of these divisions, Roche plays an increasingly important role in shaping the future of medicine by contributing to the personalized healthcare approach.
Advances in diagnostic techniques and medicines aimed at molecular targets can detect many diseases earlier and treat them more specifically. Life science research, gene sequencing and tissue diagnostics strengthen our innovative potential and drive our commitment to more targeted treatments that fit the right treatment to each patient.
With differentiated therapies in oncology, immunology, infectious diseases, ophthalmology and more, Roche is also a world leader in in vitro and tissue-based cancer diagnostics.
Roche continues to search for better ways to prevent, diagnose and treat diseases and make a sustainable contribution to society.
Read More