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| Company type | Public |
|---|---|
| ISIN | CH0012032048 |
| Industry | Pharmaceuticals |
| Predecessor | Hoffmann, Traub & Co. (1894) |
| Founded | 1 October 1896; 129 years ago (1896-10-01) |
| Founder | Fritz Hoffmann-La Roche |
| Headquarters | Basel, Switzerland |
Area served | Worldwide |
Key people |
|
| Products | Pharmaceuticals anddiagnostics(List of products) |
| Revenue |  CHF 62.39 billion (2024) |
 CHF 13.42 billion (2024) | |
| CHF 9.19 billion (2024) | |
| Total assets | CHF 101.80 billion (2024) |
| Total equity | CHF 36.16 billion (2024) |
Number of employees | 103,249 (2024) |
| Subsidiaries | |
| Website | www |
| Footnotes / references | |
F. Hoffmann-La Roche AG, commonly known asRoche (/rɒʃ/), is a Swissmultinational holding healthcare company that operates worldwide under two divisions: Pharmaceuticals and Diagnostics. Itsholding company,Roche Holding AG, hasshares listed on theSIX Swiss Exchange. The company headquarters are located inBasel. Roche is the fifth-largest pharmaceutical company in the world by revenue[6] and the leading provider ofcancer treatments globally.[7][8] In 2023, the company’s seat inForbes Global 2000 was 76.[9]
The company owns the Americanbiotechnology companyGenentech, which is a wholly owned independent subsidiary, and the Japanese biotechnology companyChugai Pharmaceuticals, as well as the United States–based companiesVentana andFoundation Medicine. Roche's revenues during fiscal year 2020, were 58.32 billionSwiss francs. Descendants of the founding Hoffmann and Oeri families own slightly over half of the bearer shares with voting rights (a pool of family shareholders 45%, and Maja Oeri a further 5% apart), with Swiss pharma firmNovartis owning a further third of its shares until 2021. Roche is one of the few companies increasing their dividend every year, for 2020 as the 34th consecutive year.
F. Hoffmann-La Roche is a full member of theEuropean Federation of Pharmaceutical Industries and Associations.[10]47°33′31″N7°36′22″E / 47.558624°N 7.606018°E /47.558624; 7.606018
Founded in 1896 byFritz Hoffmann-La Roche, the company was known early on for producing various vitamin preparations and derivatives.[11] In 1934, it became the first company to mass-produce syntheticvitamin C, under the brand nameRedoxon. During the Second World War, Roche collaborated with the Nazi regime in Germany and used forced labour in its German and Polish-based factories.[12] They also moved all their Jewish employees to the United States to save them from Nazi attention.[13]
In 1957, Hoffmann-La Roche introduced the class oftranquilizers known asbenzodiazepines (withValium andRohypnol being the best known members).[14] It manufactures and sells several cancer drugs and is a leader in this field. In 1956, the first antidepressant,iproniazid, was accidentally created during an experiment while synthesizingisoniazid. Originally, it had been intended to create a more efficient drug at combattingtuberculosis. Iproniazid, however, was revealed to have its own benefits; some people felt it made them feel happier. It was withdrawn from the market in the early 1960s due to toxic side-effects.
In 1976, anaccident at a chemical factory inSeveso, Italy, owned by a subsidiary of Roche, caused a largedioxin contamination. In 1982, the United States arm of the company acquired Biomedical Reference Laboratories for US$163.5 million. That company dated from the late 1960s, and was located inBurlington, North Carolina. That year Hoffmann-La Roche then merged it with all of its laboratories, and incorporated the merged company as Roche Biomedical Laboratories, Inc. in Burlington. By the early 1990s, Roche Biomedical became one of the largest clinical laboratory networks in the United States, with 20 major laboratories and US$600 million in sales.[15]
Roche has also produced variousHIV tests andantiretroviral drugs. It bought the patents for thepolymerase chain reaction (PCR) technique in 1992. In 1995, the era ofhighly active anti-retroviral therapy (HAART) was initiated by the United States FDA's approval of Hoffman LaRoche's HIV protease inhibitor, saquinavir. Within 2 years of its approval (and that of ritonavir 4 months later) annual deaths from AIDS in the United States fell from over 50,000 to approximately 18,000.[16] On 28 April 1995, Hoffmann-La Roche sold Roche Biomedical Laboratories, Inc. to National Health Laboratories Holdings Inc. (which then changed its name toLaboratory Corporation of America Holdings).[17] Roche acquiredSyntex in 1994, andChugai Pharmaceuticals in 2002.
In 1998, Roche acquired Corange Ltd, the parent company of Boehringer Mannheim andDePuy Manufacturing for $11 billion.[18] Boehringer Mannheim would be rebranded as Roche Diagnostics and DePuy was sold toJohnson & Johnson.[19][20]
Oseltamivir an antiviral drug used to combat influenza. Roche is the only drug company authorized to manufacture the drug, which was discovered byGilead Sciences. Roche purchased the rights to the drug in 1996, and in 2005, settled a royalty dispute, agreeing to pay Gilead tiered royalties of 14–22% of annual net sales without adjusting the payments for manufacturing costs, as had been allowed in the original licensing agreement.[21]
On 20 October 2005, Hoffmann-La Roche decided to license other companies to manufactureOseltamivir.[22]
Also in 2005, Roche acquired the Swiss company GlycArt Biotechnology in order to acquire technology toafucosylate antibodies; one of its products in development wasobinutuzumab, which gained FDA approval in November 2013 for the treatment ofchronic lymphocytic leukemia.[23][24][25]
On 22 January 2008, Roche acquiredVentana Medical Systems for $3.4 billion.[26] On 2 January 2009, Roche acquired Memory Pharmaceuticals Corp.[27]
On 26 March 2009, Roche acquiredGenentech for $46.8 billion.[28] On 12 March 2009, Roche agreed to fully acquire Genentech, in which it had held a majority stake since 1990,[29] after eight months of negotiations. As a result of the Genentech acquisition, Roche moved itsPalo Alto–based research facilities to their campus that straddles the border betweenClifton, New Jersey andNutley, New Jersey while Roche's United States headquarters, located on the New Jersey site since 1929, was moved to Genentech's facility inSouth San Francisco.[30] Genentech became a wholly ownedsubsidiary group of Roche on 25 March 2009.[31] Roche began vacating the NJ site in 2012, and sold it off in 2016.[32]
Roche acquired Medingo Ltd. in April 2010, for $160 million[33] and BioImagene, Inc. in August for $100 million.[34]
In 2011, the company received the International Society for Pharmaceutical Engineering Facility of the Year Award for Process Innovation for Roche's "MyDose" Clinical Supply project.[35] In March 2011, Roche acquired PVT Probenverteiltechnik GmbH for up to €85 million.[36] In July 2010, Roche acquired mtm laboratories AG for up to 190 million EUR.[37] In October, Roche acquired Anadys Pharmaceuticals, Inc. for $230 million.[38] In December, Roche announced it would acquire Munich-based Verum Diagnostica GmbH, gaining entry to the fastest-growing field in the coagulation diagnostics market.[39]
On 26 June 2012, Roche announced the closure of the Nutley/Clifton campus, which was completed in 2013. The property is in the process of remediation.[40]
In July 2013, Roche Diagnostics acquired blood diagnostics company Constitution Medical Inc. for $220 million.[41] Later, in September, Genentech announced it would acquire Arrayit Corporation.[42]
On 7 April 2014, Roche announced its intention to acquire IQuum for up to $450 million,[43] as well as the rights to an experimental drug (ORY-1001) from Spanish company Oryzon Genomics for $21 million and up to $500 million in milestone payments.[44] On 2 June, Roche announced its intention to acquire Genia Technologies Inc. for up to $350 million.[45] In August 2014, the company agreed to purchase Californian-based pharmaceutical firm InterMune for $8.3 billion, at $74 a share this represents a 38% premium over the final share closing price,[46][47] as well as Santaris Pharma A/S for $450 million.[48] In December 2014, the company acquirednext-generation sequencing processing company Bina Technologies for an undisclosed sum[49] and Dutalys GmbH[50] a developer of next-generation anti-bodies.[50]
On 16 January 2015, the company announced that they would acquireTrophos for €470 million ($543 million) in order to increase the company's neuromuscular disease presence. The deal will centre on the Phase II and IIIspinal muscular atrophy drugolesoxime (TRO19622).[51] In April 2015, Roche acquired CAPP Medical, and its chief development of technology for cancer screening and monitoring via the detection of circulating tumour DNA.[52]
In August, the company announced its intention to acquire GeneWEAVE, Inc. for up to $425 million in order to strengthen its microbial diagnostics business.[53] Days later the company acquired Kapa Biosystems, Inc. for $445M, focussing on next generation sequencing and polymerase chain reaction applications.[54] In October 2015, the company acquired Adheron Therapeutics for $105 million (plus up to $475 million in milestone payments).[55]
In January 2016, the company announced it would acquire Tensha Therapeutics for $115 million upfront, with $420 million in contingent payments.[56]
In January 2017, the company acquired ForSight VISION4.[57] In June, the company acquired the diabetes management platform, mySugr GmbH for an undisclosed price.[58] In November Roche acquired Viewics, Inc.[59] In late December the company announced it would acquire Ignyta Inc, expanding its global oncology business.[60]
In February 2018, Roche announced it would acquire Flatiron Health, a business specialising in US cancer data analytics, for $1.9 billion.[61][62] In June of the same year the company announced it would acquire the outstanding shares ofFoundation Medicine for $2.4 billion ($137 per share).[63] Later in September Roche announced its intention to acquire Tusk Therapeutics for up to €655 million ($759 million) expanding Roche's oncology pipeline. Tusk announced that the anti-CD38 antibody it is developing will be spun off to form a new company, Black Belt Therapeutics.[64] In late November, the company announced that Genentech would acquire Jecure Therapeutics, gaining access to Jecure's portfolio ofNLRP3 inhibitors developed to fight inflammatory diseases like non-alcoholic steatohepatitis and liver fibrosis.[65]
In February 2019, the business announced it would acquiregene therapy company,Spark Therapeutics, forUS$4.3 billion ($114.50 per share) adding Spark's gene therapy portfolio to its previous acquired assets. Spark has an already approved treatment forLeber's congenital amaurosis,Luxturna – priced atUS$850,000 per patient.[66] The offer to acquireSpark Therapeutics was extended to May 2019 after Roche was unable to garner majority support from Spark shareholders.[67] A second gene therapy-related action came in December with theUS$1.15 billion acquisition of non-United States rights to an investigationalduchenne muscular dystrophy gene therapy developed bySarepta Therapeutics.[68] In November, Roche acquired Promedior and its lead treatment – PRM-151 – for the treatment ofidiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, for $390 million upfront and another $1 billion in milestone payments.[69][70]
In March 2020, theRoche Diagnostics division reached a significant milestone with the FDA-approval of its high-volumeSars-CoV-2 diagnostic test, capable of analysing 1,400-8,800 samples within 24h on the proprietaryCobas 6800/8800 molecular testing system.[71] In September, the business acquired Ireland-based Inflazome, for €380 million, gaining control of itsNLRP3inflammasome inhibitors.[72][73]
In March 2021, Roche announced it would acquire GenMark Diagnostics for $1.8 billion.[74][75] Under the terms of agreement, Genmark diagnostics will become a subsidiary and the principal operations will continue to remain in Carlsbad, California.[76] In September, the company announced it would acquire German biotech group,TIB Molbiol, enhancing its molecular diagnostics operations.[77]
In September 2022, Roche acquired Good Therapeutics at a cost of $250M for itsPD1-regulatedIL-2 receptor agonist program.[78][79]
In July 2023, Roche partnered withAlnylam Pharmaceuticals in a deal worth $2.8 billion for the development of a hypertension drug.[80] In December 2023, Roche acquired Carmot Therapeutics, an anti-obesity drug developer, for $2.7 billion.[81]
In October 2023, Monte Rosa Therapeutics and Roche signed a strategic cooperation and licensing agreement for the discovery and development of molecular adhesive degradators (MGD) to combatcancer and neurological diseases. The partnership includes Monte Rosa’s QuEENT discovery engine and Roche Holding expertise. Also Monte Rosa will receive $50m as an upfront payment and additional payments that will depend on the pre-clinical, clinical, commercial stages and sales, as well as multi-level royalty system and may exceed $2 billion.[82]
In March 2024, it was announced Roche had sold Genentech's site inVacaville, California to theSwiss pharmaceutical company,Lonza for $1.2 billion.[83]
In November 2024, Roche acquired Poseida Therapeutics for US $1.0 billion.[84][85]
In April 2025, Roche announced it would invest $50 billion in the United States over the next five years, creating more than 12,000 new jobs.[86]
In May 2025, Genentech, a Roche subsidiary agreed a partnership worth $2.1 billion with Orionis Biosciences for the development of a small-molecule protein degrader for cancer.[87]
In October 2025, Roche announced the completion of its acquisition, for $3.5 billion, of 89bio, a San-Francisco based company focusing on developing therapies for liver and cardio-metabolic disease.[88]
The Hoffmann-La Roche family is Switzerland's richest and one of the most secretive families.[89] Many members of the family don't carry the last name Hoffmann anymore. Some are known asOeri,Michalski,Faber-Castell, Fabre, Schmid or Duschmalé.[90]
| Year | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Revenue | 46.780 | 47.462 | 48.145 | 50.576 | 53.299 | 56.846 | 63.751 | 58.323 | 62.801 | 66.43 | 60.44 | 62.39 |
| Net Income | 11.164 | 9.332 | 8.863 | 9.576 | 8.633 | 10.865 | 14.108 | 15.068 | 14.935 | 13.53 | 12.36 | 9.19 |
| Assets | 62.167 | 75.641 | 75.763 | 76.819 | 76.676 | 78.517 | 83.091 | 86.138 | 92.317 | 88.15 | 90.47 | 101.80 |
| Employees | 85,080 | 88,509 | 91,747 | 94,052 | 93,734 | 94,442 | 97,735 | 101,238 | 100,920 | 103,613 | 103,605 | 103,249 |
Roche Holding AG is organized into two primary business divisions that reflect its dual focus on pharmaceutical development and diagnostic solutions. The company's divisional structure has evolved significantly since its founding in 1896, with major organizational changes occurring through strategic acquisitions and internal restructuring to create a comprehensive healthcare portfolio.[96]
Roche Diagnostics manufacturesdiagnostic equipment and reagents for research and medical diagnostic applications. Internally, it is organised into five major business areas: Roche Applied Science, Roche Professional Diagnostics, Roche Diabetes Care, Roche Molecular Diagnostics and Roche Tissue Diagnostics (Ventana). The main location for Roche Professional Diagnostics is in Rotkreuz, Switzerland.[97] All business areas exceptRoche Applied Science focus on health care applications, targeting either physicians, hospitals and clinics, or consumers. Applied Science targets research settings in academia and pharmaceutical and biotechnology industries.
Roche operates under a divisional organizational structure led by a Chief Executive Officer who oversees the company's two main business divisions: Roche Pharmaceuticals and Roche Diagnostics. This structure mirrors the divisional organizational type commonly adopted by leading multinational corporations to manage complex operations across multiple business segments. The executive leadership includes specialized C-level executives responsible for Finance & Information, Pharma Research & Early Development (pRED), Pharma Partnering, and Group Communications.[98][99]
The Pharmaceuticals Division represents Roche's core drug development and manufacturing operations, focusing on translating scientific excellence into effective medicines for patients. The division combines research capabilities across multiple global locations with clinical development, manufacturing, and commercial operations. Roche Pharmaceuticals maintains a broad-based portfolio that positions the company as one of the world's leading providers of clinically differentiated medicines.[100]
A critical component of the Pharmaceuticals Division isGenentech, Roche's biotechnology subsidiary based inSouth San Francisco,California. Genentech operates as a member of the Roche Group while maintaining its distinct identity and operational focus on breakthrough biotechnology research. The integration of Genentech has been fundamental to Roche's pharmaceutical strategy, providing specialized expertise in biotechnology and access to the North American market. Genentech has been operating for over 35 years and plays a pivotal role in Roche's pharmaceutical innovation.[101]
The Pharmaceuticals Division also encompasses Roche's strategic alliance withChugai Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. inJapan. This partnership, established in the 1990s, created a research-driven pharmaceutical enterprise that serves as Roche's primary operational base in Japan. The Chugai alliance was the first instance of Roche building localized pharmaceutical capabilities in key global markets while maintaining integration with the broader Roche pharmaceutical network.[102]
The Pharmaceuticals Division operates through a global network of innovation engines designed to discover and develop breakthrough treatments. These research facilities are strategically located worldwide and function as independent innovation centers while maintaining coordination with central pharmaceutical operations. In 2024, the division entered into more than 70 new partnerships and managed over 250 alliances worldwide, demonstrating the scale and collaborative nature of Roche's pharmaceutical research approach.[103]
The Diagnostics Division focuses on developing high-quality and reliable diagnostic solutions and services that address the prevention, screening, diagnosis, and monitoring of diseases. This division has established Roche as a world leader inin-vitro diagnostics and represents a significant portion of the company's global operations. The division's comprehensive approach encompasses various testing methodologies and serves healthcare providers across multiple medical specialties.[104]
The main operational center for Roche Professional Diagnostics is located inRotkreuz,Switzerland, which serves as a central hub for the division's European and global operations.[105]
The Diagnostics Division is internally organized into five major business areas that reflect different aspects of diagnostic medicine and laboratory operations. These areas include Roche Applied Science, which focuses on research and applied diagnostic technologies; Roche Professional Diagnostics, which serves clinical laboratory needs; Roche Diabetes Care, specializing in diabetes monitoring and management solutions; Roche Molecular Diagnostics, concentrating on genetic and molecular testing; and Roche Tissue Diagnostics through theVentana subsidiary, which provides tissue-based diagnostic solutions for pathology applications.[106]
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Hoffmann-La Roche develops drugs used for cancer treatment, against virus diseases and for treatment of metabolic diseases. The company is the world's largest spender in pharmaceuticalR&D.[107]
Drugs produced by Roche include:[needs update][original research?][citation needed]
Diabetes management products under the Accu-Chek brand includeblood glucose meter, test strips and insulin pumps, as well as diabetes management software.
Other products include:
Stanley Adams, Roche's World Product Manager in Basel, contacted theEuropean Economic Community in 1973 with evidence that Roche had been breakingantitrust laws, engaging inprice fixing and market sharing for vitamins with its competitors. Roche was fined accordingly, but a bungle on the part of the EEC allowed the company to discover that it was Adams who had blown the whistle. He was arrested for unauthorised disclosure — an offence under Swiss law — and imprisoned. His wife, having learnt that he might face decades in jail, committed suicide.[110]
In 1999 the firm pleaded guilty to participation in a worldwide conspiracy to raise and fix prices forvitamins sold in the US and globally. Hoffmann-La Roche paid $500 million in criminal fines to the United States.[110][111][112]
In July 2025, Roche withdrewLunsumio from the Swiss market following failed price negotiations with the Swiss Federal Office of Public Health (BAG).[113] The drug had been available since February 2023 through a special "Early Access" program that allowed reimbursement before complete clinical data was available.[114] Under this arrangement, Roche initially covered treatment costs until efficacy was demonstrated, after which the remaining therapy could exceed 100,000 Swiss francs.[113]
WhenSwissmedic extended the temporary authorization in February 2025 due to still-missing complete clinical data from Phase III studies, Roche rejected the previously negotiated pricing model and demanded higher prices.[113][114] The BAG refused to modify the agreement, citing concerns that exceptions would set a precedent for other pharmaceutical companies and demanding additional efficacy evidence despite the drug showing positive effects in Phase II studies.[114] According to Swissmedic pricing data, a single 60-mg dose (two vials) of Lunsumio costs over 7,000 Swiss francs.[114]
The withdrawal was announced to oncologists on July 1, 2025, affecting approximately 24 patients annually who suffer from follicular lymphoma—a slowly progressing cancer of the lymph nodes with about 500 new cases per year in Switzerland.[113][114] Roche also refused to provide individual case reimbursements—a standard Swiss mechanism for exceptional medical situations. Instead, the company offered to provide the medication free through its patient access program for hardship cases, though this option was described as much more restrictive.[113][114]
Oncologists criticized the decision as unprecedented, with Dr. Carmen de Ramon Ortiz ofGeneva University Hospital noting that about 20% offollicular lymphoma patients require intensive treatment and that Lunsumio represents "a very innovative immunotherapy that stimulates the immune system, leading to high remission rates."[114] Industry experts characterized the withdrawal as a form of healthcare rationing and a "canary in the coal mine," noting that only half of EU-approved medications are available in Switzerland.[115] Some experts suggested the withdrawal reflected broader pressures from potential U.S. pricing reforms and trade uncertainties that could affect Roche's largest market, including potential tariff increases on pharmaceutical exports from 10% to up to 31%.[113][116]
The case was viewed by analysts as a potential precedent-setting "regulatory showdown" that could influence pharmaceutical pricing negotiations across the industry, particularly for rare disease treatments affecting small patient populations.[117]
During the Second World War, Roche was reported to have collaborated with the Nazi regime in Germany and used prisoners-of-war or foreign forced labour in its German and Polish-based factories.[12]
In 2008 theAssociation of the British Pharmaceutical Industry (ABPI) suspended Roche for six months for breaching their code of conduct.[118]
In 2013, Roche had to pay backSFr 3.2 billion to theSwiss tax authorities due to transfer mispricing.[citation needed]
In addition to internal research and development activities F. Hoffmann-La Roche is also involved in publicly funded collaborative research projects, with other industrial and academic partners. One example in the area ofnon-clinical safety assessment is the InnoMed PredTox.[119][120] The company is expanding its activities in joint research projects within the framework of theInnovative Medicines Initiative of theEuropean Federation of Pharmaceutical Industries and Associations and theEuropean Commission.[121]
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