Roche to continue focusing on personalised medicine

Hannah Blake

pharmaphorum

Roche recently shared its industry-leading pipeline at an investor conference, and revealed that it will be focusing on personalised healthcare leadership and not bow to the pressures across the globe to reduce costs. While other pharma companies face competition from those producing cost effective generics, Roche has announced it will be spending over 8 billion Swiss francs in developing more new drugs.

Roche is expecting results from 19 late-stage clinical trials in the next 18 months, including data for 12 new molecular entities (NMEs), with a further 60 NMEs in the pipeline. In addition, three NME projects could reach the Lifecycle Investment Point to move into late-stage development this year.

“Roche’s strategy is based on developing differentiated medicines and diagnostics in areas of high unmet need that bring true medical benefit to patients. More than 60% of our pharmaceutical pipeline projects are coupled with the development of companion diagnostics in order to make treatments more effective. The recent launches of our cancer medicines Perjeta and Zelboraf are examples of the concept of personalised healthcare becoming reality.”

Severin Schwan, CEO of Roche.

Roche is doing considerably better than some of its rivals at the moment, as most of its top-selling cancer medicines do not face imminent generic competition.

Roche is working to improve patient access in developed countries as well as emerging markets, as the company’s broad portfolio allows for flexible commercial schemes and value-based pricing.