Hoffmann–La Roche
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Fix Nutley link to NJ (was in England)
{{Infobox Company |
| company_name = F. Hoffmann–La Roche, Ltd.
| company_logo = [[Image:Hoffmann–La-Roche.svg|170px]]
| company_type = Public (parent company Roche Holding AG traded under RHHBY.PK)
| foundation = [[1896]]
| location = {{flagicon|CH|size=30x15px}} [[Basel, Switzerland]],
Roche US in [[Nutley, New Jersey|Nutley, NJ]]
| key_people = Severin Schwan ([[CEO]])<br />William M. Burns ([[CEO]] of pharmaceuticals division)<br />Jonathan Knowles (Director of Research)
| industry = [[Pharmaceutical company|Pharmaceutical]]
| products = [[Xenical]], [[Valium]], [[Zenapax]], [[Valcyte]], [[Bactrim]], [[Tarceva]], [[CellCept]]
| revenue = 28.6 billion (2005)
| num_employees = 74,372 (2006)
| homepage = http://www.roche.com/
}}
'''F. Hoffmann–La Roche, Ltd.''' is a [[Switzerland|Swiss]] global health-care company which operates world-wide under two divisions: [[Pharmaceutical company|Pharmaceutical]]s and [[Roche Diagnostics|Diagnostics]].
It belongs to the '''Roche Holding AG'''.
The headquarters are in [[Basel]] and the company has many sites around the world - including: [[Nutley, NJ]], [[Palo Alto]], [[Pleasanton, California|Pleasanton]], [[Branchburg]], [[Indianapolis]], and [[Florence, South Carolina|Florence]] in the [[United States|US]], [[Welwyn Garden City]] and [[Burgess Hill]] in the [[United Kingdom|UK]], [[Mannheim]] and [[Penzberg]] in [[Germany]], and [[Shanghai]] in [[China]].
The company also owns a majority of the American biotechnology company [[Genentech]] and the Japanese biotechnology company Chugai Pharmaceuticals.
The shares of Roche Holding AG ({{SWX Europe|CH0012032048CHF1|ROG}}) is listed on the London-based SWX Europe. Roche's revenues during fiscal year [[2005]] were $28.6 billion (2005, 35.5bn [[Swiss franc|CHF]]). Descendants of the founding Hoffmann and Oeri families own half of the company. Swiss pharma company [[Novartis]] owns 33% of the company (as of 2005).
==History==
Founded in [[1896]] by [[Fritz Hoffmann-La Roche]], the company was early on known for producing various [[vitamin]] preparations and derivatives. In [[1934]], it became the first company to mass produce synthetic vitamin C, under the brand name [[Redoxon]]. In [[1957]] it introduced the class of [[tranquilizer]]s known as [[benzodiazepine]]s (with [[Valium]] and [[Rohypnol]] being the best known members). Its [[Acne vulgaris|acne]] drug [[isotretinoin]], marketed as Accutane and Roaccutane, has also been used as a form of [[chemotherapy]] for some cancers <ref name="accutaneforcancer">[http://www.max001.proboards42.com/index.cgi?board=aa&action=display&thread=1126042049], Roaccutane Science</ref>, has been linked with a number of very severe side effects and remains highly controversial. Roche has also produced various [[HIV test]]s and [[antiretroviral drug]]s. It bought the [[patent]]s for the [[polymerase chain reaction]] technique in [[1992]]. It manufactures and sells several [[cancer]] drugs.
In [[1976]], an accident at a chemical factory in [[Seveso]], [[Italy]] owned by a subsidiary of Roche caused a large [[dioxin]] contamination; see [[Seveso disaster]].
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 in [[Burlington, 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.<ref name="fundingroche">[http://www.fundinguniverse.com/company-histories/Roche-Biomedical-Laboratories-Inc-Company-History.html Roche Biomedical Laboratories, Inc.], FundingUniverse.com</ref>
On [[April 28]], [[1995]] Hoffmann-La Roche sold Roche Biomedical Laboratories, Inc. to National Health Laboratories Holdings Inc. (formerly {{nyse2|NH}}), which then changed its name to [[Laboratory Corporation of America Holdings]] ({{nyse2|LH}}).<ref name="sec950515">[http://www.secinfo.com/ds2yr.a4.htm Laboratory Corp of America Holdings · 10-Q · For 3/31/95], SECInfo.com, Filed On 5/15/95, SEC File 1-11353, Accession Number 920148-95-11</ref>
In 1994, Roche acquired [[Syntex]].
== Creation of the first anti-depressant ==
In [[1956]], [[Iproniazid]] was accidentally created during an experiment while synthesizing [[Isoniazid]]. Originally, it had been intended to create a more efficient drug at combatting [[Tuberculosis]]. [[Iproniazid]], however, 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.
== Vitamin price fixing ==
[[Stanley Adams (whistleblower)|Stanley Adams]], Roche's World Product Manager in Basel, contacted the [[European Economic Community]] in 1973 with evidence that Roche had been breaking antitrust laws, engaging in price 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.<ref name=observer>[http://education.guardian.co.uk/businessofresearch/comment/0,9976,606260,00.html Blowing the final whistle], ''The Observer'', 25 November 2001</ref> Adams was released soon after but arrested again more than once before eventually fleeing to Britain, where he wrote a book about the affair, ''Roche Versus Adams'' (London, 1984, ISBN 022402180X).
In 1999 Roche was the worldwide market leader in vitamins, with a market share of 40%. Between 1990 and 1999, the company continued to participate in an illegal price fixing cartel for vitamins, which also included [[BASF]] and [[Rhone-Poulenc SA]]. In 1999, Roche pleaded guilty in the [[United States]] and paid a [[United States dollar|US$]]500 million fine, then the largest fine ever secured in the U.S. The [[European Commission]] fined Roche [[Euro|€]]462 million for the same infraction in 2001, also a record fine at the time.<ref name=observer/>
Roche sold its vitamin business in late 2002 to the Dutch group [[DSM (company)|DSM]].
== Alleged Tamiflu monopoly ==
In a recent meeting of regional health ministers, Dr. Francisco J. Duque III, Secretary of the [[Philippines]] Department of Health, accused Roche of "monopolizing" the production and distribution of the drug known as [[Oseltamivir]] (brand name [[Tamiflu]]). Oseltamivir is considered to be the primary antiviral drug used to combat avian influenza, commonly known as the [[H5N1|bird flu]]. Roche is the only drug company authorized to manufacture the drug, which was discovered by [[Gilead 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.<ref name="royalty">{{
cite news|url=http://www.redherring.com/Article.aspx?a=14507&hed=Roche%2C+Gilead+End+Tamiflu+Feud
|publisher=Red Herring|title=Roche, Gilead End Tamiflu Feud|date=November 16, 2005}}</ref>
{{unreferencedsection|date=August 2007}}
The Philippine health secretary complained that the supply of the said drug is only concentrated in [[First World]] countries even if the disease is ravaging bird and poultry populations in Southeast Asia as of this time. Dr. Duque proposed that even if Roche is the only one who has the patent for the drug, special patents or licenses should be granted to other drug companies to manufacture the drug and make it more accessible to avian flu-vulnerable countries in [[Southeast Asia]] such as [[Vietnam]], [[Indonesia]], [[Cambodia]] and the [[Philippines]]. Duque and Philippine president [[Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo|Gloria Macapagal Arroyo]] have already communicated with the representative of the [[World Health Organization]] in the Philippines asking for assistance in calling for greater production and distribution of Oseltamivir.{{facts|date=August 2007}}
{{wikinews|Taiwan to violate Tamiflu patent in order to compensate for vaccine shortage}}
World leaders, such as former [[UN Secretary General]] [[Kofi Annan]], have expressed a desire to have more generic versions of Tamiflu made, especially for [[Third World]] countries too poor to buy the brand name drug.{{facts|date=August 2007}}
On [[October 20]] [[2005]], Hoffmann-La Roche decided to license other companies to manufacture Oseltamivir.<ref>{{Cite web| url=http://www.time.com/time/business/article/0,8599,1120533,00.html| title=Why Roche Released Tamiflu| accessdate=2008-05-22| last=Kher| first=Unmesh| date=2005-10-19| work=Time| publisher=Time Inc.}}</ref>
== Additional key persons ==
''In addition to corporate executive committee members mentioned in the summary information box''
*Chief Financial Officer Dr Erich Hunziker (1953)
*Corporate Services and Human Resources Dr Gottlieb Keller (1954)
''Enlarged Corporate Executive Committee''
*Head Global Pharma Development Eduard E. Holdener (1945)
*Head Pharma Partnering Peter Hug (1958)
*Head of Roche Diagnostics' business area Diabetes Care Burkhard G. Piper (1961)
*Head Global Corporate Communications Rolf D. Schläpfer (1956)
*Head of Commercial Operations Pharma Pascal Soriot (1959)
*President and CEO, Chugai Osamu Nagayama (1947)
== Company profiles ==
* [http://biz.yahoo.com/ic/41/41787.html Roche Group] (Yahoo!)
* [http://biz.yahoo.com/ic/43/43933.html Hoffmann-La Roche Inc.] (Yahoo!)
==External links==
* [http://www.roche.com/ Roche global website]
* [http://www.roche.us/ Roche US website]
* [http://www.rocheusa.com Roche Pharmaceuticals US website]
* [http://www.mylabonline.com/ Roche Diagnostics US website]
* [http://www.rocheuk.com/ Roche UK website]
* [http://www.accutaneaction.com/ information about Roaccutane from the UK and Ireland]
* [http://www.max001.proboards42.com/ further information about Accutane]
==References==
{{reflist}}
* Hans Conrad Peyer (1996) ''Roche - A Company History 1896-1996 '' Basel: Editiones Roche ISBN 3 907770 59 5
{{SMI}}
[[Category:Hoffmann-La Roche| ]]
[[Category:Companies of Switzerland]]
[[Category:Multinational companies]]
[[Category:Pharmaceutical companies]]
[[Category:Price fixing convictions]]
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