On July 6, Roche Pharma China announced the immediate launch of the “Gastrointestinal Cancer Immunotherapy Combination Therapy Collaboration Special Program for China” (hereinafter referred to as the “Collaboration Special Program”). This initiative aims to address the unmet needs of the vast population of gastrointestinal cancer patients in China and to drive innovation in gastrointestinal cancer therapeutics. The Collaboration Special Program will support innovative Chinese enterprises in the collaborative research and development of new therapies for gastrointestinal cancers, providing multifaceted support including funding, complimentary investigational drugs, and R&D strategic guidance.
The incidence of gastrointestinal cancers in China accounts for approximately 40% of the overall cancer incidence, significantly higher than the global average. For many gastrointestinal cancers, such as liver cancer, esophageal cancer, and gastric cancer, the number of new cases in China constitutes more than 50% of the global total. Furthermore, deaths from gastrointestinal cancers account for 50% of all annual cancer-related deaths in China. The overall 5-year survival rate for most patients with gastrointestinal cancers is below 20%. Specifically, the 5-year survival rate for gastric cancer in China is 20%, for liver cancer it is 12.5%, for esophageal cancer it is 15%, and for pancreatic cancer it is merely 7.2%.
Peter Ahnesorg, Global Head of Gastrointestinal Oncology at Roche, stated: “Roche has maintained continuous investment in the field of gastrointestinal (GI) oncology and is actively introducing various innovative drugs for GI tumors into China. In response to the unmet needs of the vast population of Chinese patients with GI tumors, we look forward to supporting China in achieving more numerous, faster, and better breakthroughs in GI tumor treatment through this collaborative special program.” The “Roche Special Program for Collaborative Research on Immunotherapy Combinations in Gastrointestinal Oncology” will be open to applications from all innovative pharmaceutical enterprises in China over the next five years. Specific support measures include, but are not limited to: 1) Providing Roche’s oncology immunotherapy product Tecentriq® (atezolizumab) and targeted therapy Avastin® (bevacizumab), among other investigational drugs, to Chinese pharmaceutical companies for combination studies with their own investigational agents, thereby exploring innovative treatment approaches for GI tumors; 2) Providing R&D funding subject to mutual agreement between both parties; and 3) Offering scientific and R&D support to domestic innovative pharmaceutical companies during the collaboration to help optimize strategies and accelerate the R&D process.
Zhou Hong, President of Roche Pharma China, stated: “As China designates biopharmaceuticals as a strategic industry and the Chinese government provides strong support for medical innovation, China is becoming a fertile ground for global pharmaceutical innovation, with its contribution to the global number of new drugs under development reaching 7.8%. Roche has long been deeply rooted in China and actively explores collaborations with various stakeholders. The launch of this special initiative will also mark the beginning of extensive cooperation between Roche and Chinese research institutions as well as local innovative enterprises.”
Roche Collaborative Special Program on Immunotherapy Combinations for Gastrointestinal Tumors
Partner: Open to all Chinese innovative pharmaceutical companies for application
Scope of Cooperation/Requirements
Cooperation Mode:
Contact: china.collaboration@roche.com
Roche in the Field of Gastrointestinal Tumors
As a leader in personalized healthcare, Roche has been making long-term investments in the research and development of innovative drugs for gastrointestinal cancers and actively introducing these innovations to China. Currently, Roche’s medicines for gastric cancer and colorectal cancer, including Xeloda® (capecitabine), Avastin® (bevacizumab), and Herceptin® (trastuzumab), have already benefited tens of thousands of Chinese patients with gastrointestinal tumors. Furthermore, the combination of Tecentriq® (atezolizumab) and Avastin® (bevacizumab) as a first-line treatment for unresectable advanced hepatocellular carcinoma is expected to receive approval in China in the near future. In addition, Roche is conducting extensive R&D of innovative drugs for other gastrointestinal malignancies, such as colorectal cancer, esophageal cancer, and cholangiocarcinoma.
About Tecentriq®
Atezolizumab is a monoclonal antibody designed to bind directly to the PD-L1 ligand protein expressed on tumor cells and tumor-infiltrating immune cells, thereby blocking its interaction with the PD-1 and B7.1 receptors. By inhibiting the PD-L1 pathway, TECENTRIQ® can effectively activate T cells. As an innovative cancer immunotherapy, TECENTRIQ® holds promise as a foundational agent in combination therapies, used alongside other immunotherapies, targeted drugs, and various chemotherapeutic agents for the treatment of multiple types of cancer.
Currently, Tecentriq® has been approved in the United States, the European Union, and countries worldwide as monotherapy or in combination with targeted therapies and/or chemotherapy for the treatment of various types of cancer, including non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), small cell lung cancer (SCLC), specific types of metastatic urothelial carcinoma, and metastatic triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) with high PD-L1 expression. On February 13, 2020, Tecentriq® in combination with chemotherapy was approved in China for first-line treatment of extensive-stage small cell lung cancer. On February 28, the National Medical Products Administration of China officially granted priority review status to Tecentriq® in combination with Avastin® for first-line treatment of advanced unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma.
About Avastin®
Avastin® is a prescription medication administered via intravenous infusion. It is a biological antibody that specifically binds to the VEGF protein, which plays a critical role in angiogenesis and vascular maintenance throughout the entire lifecycle of tumors—a process known as angiogenesis. Avastin® interferes with the tumor’s blood supply by directly binding to the VEGF protein, thereby preventing its interaction with receptors on vascular cells. The tumor’s blood supply is considered key to its ability to grow and spread (metastasize) within the body.
Regarding Tecentriq® in Combination with Avastin®
The combination of Tecentriq® and Avastin® is supported by robust scientific evidence. This combination has the potential to enhance the body’s own immune system in combating various types of tumors. The anti-angiogenic effect of Avastin can further strengthen the tumor immunotherapy efficacy of Tecentriq, reduce VEGF-related immunosuppression, and improve T-cell responses to tumor antigens.
Roche’s Research on Cancer Immunotherapy
For over 50 years, Roche has been committed to developing innovative medicines that redefine cancer treatment. Today, we are investing more resources than ever before in the research and development of innovative therapies designed to help activate patients’ own immune systems to fight cancer.
By designing the cancer immunity cycle framework and conducting pioneering research in the field of cancer immunoanalysis within this framework, Roche is accelerating the advancement and expanding the application of Tecentriq® to deliver clinical benefits to a broader population of cancer patients. Our cancer immunotherapy research adopts a comprehensive approach to achieve the goal of restoring immune competence to combat tumors, thereby improving patient outcomes.
About Roche Group
Roche is a global leader in the pharmaceutical and diagnostics sectors, committed to improving people’s lives by advancing science. The unique combination of its pharmaceutical and diagnostics businesses positions the Roche Group as a leader in personalized healthcare, delivering the most targeted treatment solutions for each patient through personalized medicine.
Roche is the world’s largest biotechnology company, with a premier portfolio of differentiated medicines in oncology, immunology, infectious diseases, ophthalmology, and diseases of the central nervous system. Roche is the global leader in in vitro diagnostics and tissue-based cancer diagnostics, and a pioneer in diabetes care.
Since its establishment in 1896, Roche has been committed to continuously exploring better solutions for disease prevention, diagnosis, and treatment, making sustained contributions to society. Meanwhile, the company enhances patient access to innovative medicines through close collaboration with relevant stakeholders. More than 30 medicines developed by Roche are included in the World Health Organization’s Model List of Essential Medicines, including life-saving antibiotics, antimalarials, and oncology drugs. Furthermore, Roche has been recognized for eleven consecutive years as one of the most sustainable companies in the pharmaceutical industry on the Dow Jones Sustainability Index (DJSI).
Headquartered in Basel, Switzerland, the Roche Group operates in more than 100 countries worldwide and employed over 98,000 people globally in 2019. In that year, Roche invested CHF 11.7 billion in research and development, with total sales reaching CHF 61.5 billion. Genentech, Inc., based in the United States, is a wholly owned subsidiary of the Roche Group, and Roche also holds a controlling interest in Chugai Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. in Japan.
About Roche China
Roche’s ties with China date back to the 1920s and 1930s, when it began selling pharmaceuticals in Shanghai. In 1994, Shanghai Roche Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. was officially established in Zhangjiang, Shanghai, becoming the first multinational corporation to settle in the Zhangjiang Hi-Tech Park. In 2004, Roche R&D (China) Ltd. was founded, making Roche the first multinational pharmaceutical company to establish a wholly owned R&D center in Shanghai. In 2007, the Roche Global Drug Development Shanghai Center was established, driving and accelerating the clinical development and registration of Roche’s innovative medicines in China. In 2009, this center joined Roche’s global drug development network as one of its five worldwide drug development centers.
Among large multinational pharmaceutical companies, Roche was the first to establish a complete pharmaceutical value chain encompassing research, development, manufacturing, and marketing, providing Chinese patients with breakthrough medicines in several key therapeutic areas, including oncology, anti-infective and antiviral therapies, transplantation, and rheumatology and immunology. Currently, Roche has 22 products in China, covering eight therapeutic areas.
Rooted in China, Benefiting China and the World: Roche Continues to Strengthen Its Investment in China, Particularly in R&D Innovation. In 2015, Roche invested RMB 863 million to build the new Roche Shanghai Innovation Center, which was officially completed in 2019. The new Innovation Center focuses on research and early development of innovative medicines in the fields of immunology, inflammation, and infectious diseases. In the future, it will effectively promote collaboration between Roche and local scientific research institutions, continuously developing superior and innovative medicines for patients in China and around the globe. Furthermore, the Innovation Center is equipped with world-class research facilities, attracting top-tier innovative pharmaceutical talent from both within and outside China. Upholding its commitment to “Acting in the Best Interests of Patients,” Shanghai has become Roche’s third-largest global strategic hub, following San Francisco and Basel.
As China’s reform and opening-up continue to deepen, the Chinese government has introduced a series of new healthcare reform measures, particularly in accelerating the registration and approval processes for new drugs and updating the National Reimbursement Drug List (NRDL). Currently, seven Roche targeted therapies—Herceptin®, Avastin®, Tarceva®, Zelboraf®, Alecensa®, Perjeta®, and MabThera®—along with one biologic, Actemra®, have been included in the NRDL, benefiting patients across China. This initiative has not only significantly reduced the financial burden on cancer patients but also promoted the standardized development of oncology treatment in China.
Roche will actively collaborate with the government, medical institutions, non-governmental organizations, and other stakeholders across society to jointly explore innovative partnership models, benefiting more patients in China through a series of impactful and sustainable initiatives.