Roche

Roche is a Swiss health care company based in Basel. Fritz Hoffmann-La Roche founded it in 1896. It has two main divisions, pharmaceuticals and diagnostics. The company reports results in Swiss francs. It runs large manufacturing sites in Switzerland, the United States and elsewhere, and it spends a high share of its sales on research and development.

The pharmaceuticals division develops treatments for cancer, eye disease, neurological conditions and immune disorders. Genentech in California and Chugai in Japan are part of the group. The diagnostics division sells laboratory analyzers and tests, including blood glucose monitors and covid-19 tests.

Roche is one of the largest makers of cancer drugs by sales. The Hoffmann and Oeri families hold a controlling stake in the voting shares. The company has research sites on several continents. The group is known for its diagnostics tools and its cancer drugs such as Herceptin and Avastin. Thomas Schinecker is chief executive. Competitors include Novartis, Pfizer and Merck.