Roche Showcases Future Innovative Products at the Second China International Import Expo

Shanghai, November 6, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, the Roche Group, with its two core businesses in pharmaceuticals and diagnostics, made a joint appearance at the Second China International Import Expo (hereinafter referred to as the "CIIE"). Roche Pharmaceuticals China showcased its future innovative products in major disease areas such as breast cancer, tumor immunotherapy, and influenza. Mr. André Hoffmann, representative of the founding family of Roche and Vice Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Roche Group, and Ms. Zhou Hong, President of Roche Pharmaceuticals China, attended the event in person to witness Roche's latest achievements in China together with guests. At the venue, Roche also signed a strategic cooperation agreement with the Administration Bureau of Boao Lecheng International Medical Tourism Pilot Zone in Hainan Province. Leveraging the "pilot and first-try" policy of the Hainan Free Trade Zone, Roche will be among the first to introduce innovative drugs into the pilot zone for clinical application. This marks Roche's second consecutive year participating in the CIIE, a move that not only fully demonstrates the importance of China in Roche's global strategy but also highlights its confidence and determination to promote the development of China's healthcare industry.

At this year’s China International Import Expo (CIIE), Roche has significantly upgraded its booth, expanding it to 700 square meters, making it one of the largest brands in the Medical Devices and Pharmaceuticals & Healthcare section. The overall exhibit highlights a patient-centric approach to personalized medical innovation and comprehensively showcases new “integrated diagnosis and treatment” solutions covering the entire lifecycle. Through a series of creative interactive installations and experiential programs, Roche also demonstrates its continuous breakthroughs and innovations across numerous disease areas.

“As a leader in personalized healthcare, Roche has brought innovative ‘integrated diagnosis and treatment’ products and solutions to the China International Import Expo. We are also honored to participate in the CIIE again, driving the development of innovation ecosystems in China and around the world,” said André Hoffmann, representative of the founding family and Vice Chairman of the Board of Directors of Roche Group.eMr. Hoffmann stated, “China holds a strategically important position in Roche’s global strategy. Leveraging Roche’s robust product portfolio, dedicated talent team, and unwavering commitment to sustainability, we are highly confident that, while pursuing long-term development in China, we will bring more innovative products to the Chinese market, thereby benefiting a greater number of patients.”

In the era of big data, Roche is bringing a new understanding to human biotechnology through in-depth analysis of health data. As a core strategy of the Roche Group, personalized medicine leverages the unique advantage of combining pharmaceuticals and diagnostics, forming analyses and insights through high-value data to deliver more suitable precision medical care and treatment outcomes for specific patients, thereby improving their lives. Today, amid China’s digital wave, Roche is striving to continuously build a value-centered personalized healthcare system.

As a global leader in the biopharmaceutical industry, Roche Pharma entered China in 1994, becoming the first multinational corporation to establish its presence in Shanghai Zhangjiang. Over the past 25 years, Roche Pharma has deeply cultivated the Chinese market, achieving solid and substantial growth, and has taken the lead among large multinational pharmaceutical companies in building a complete pharmaceutical value chain encompassing research, development, production, and marketing. With Shanghai emerging as Roche’s third-largest strategic center globally, following Basel and San Francisco, Roche has also brought its future innovative products in the fields of breast cancer, tumor immunotherapy, and influenza to the stage of the China International Import Expo (CIIE).

At the event, Roche Pharmaceuticals China comprehensively showcased its innovative product portfolio covering all breast cancer subtypes and the entire disease continuum, with a special focus on Kadcyla, the world’s first antibody-drug conjugate independently developed by the company.^®(Trastuzumab emtansine) It can be used for adjuvant (postoperative) treatment of patients with HER2-positive early-stage breast cancer, making it possible to spare a specific subset of HER2-positive breast cancer patients from chemotherapy, and is expected to bring hope to more breast cancer patients.

During the same period, Roche also made a significant showcase of its new immuno-oncology drug, Tecentriq.^®(Atezolizumab) Tecentriq^®(Atezolizumab) is the first tumor immunotherapy drug approved by the FDA for the treatment of triple-negative breast cancer, which is currently one of the most aggressive types of breast cancer. Once it recurs, current treatment options are often ineffective. Tecentriq^®Significant breakthroughs have also been achieved in the field of liver cancer treatment. According to the latest Phase III clinical trial IMbrave 150 results released in October, “Tecentriq^®(Atezolizumab) + Bevacizumab^®(bevacizumab)” has demonstrated significant improvements in the treatment of unresectable advanced hepatocellular carcinoma, both in terms of prolonging overall survival and reducing the risk of disease progression or death. Roche is simultaneously filing applications for Tecentriq in China, the United States, and the European Union.^®(Atezolizumab) Indication for Hepatocellular Carcinoma.

In addition, Roche showcased the next-generation anti-influenza drug Xofluza on-site.^®(Baloxavir marboxil tablets). As the first single-dose oral anti-influenza drug with a novel mechanism of action approved by the FDA in nearly 20 years, Xofluza^®(Baloxavir Marboxil Tablets) provide a novel solution for the treatment of influenza.

To further accelerate the introduction of innovative medicines into China, Roche Pharmaceuticals China announced a strategic partnership with the Administration Bureau of the Boao Lecheng International Medical Tourism Pilot Zone in Hainan Province at the China International Import Expo. Leveraging the “pilot and first-try” policies of the Free Trade Zone, this collaboration aims to facilitate the pre-market clinical application and product demonstration of Roche’s innovative drugs that have not yet been approved for marketing in China, within the Boao Lecheng Medical Tourism Pilot Zone, thereby addressing patients’ actual clinical needs.

Ms. Zhou Hong, President of Roche Pharmaceuticals China, stated, “We are delighted to leverage this platform to showcase Roche’s latest innovative medicines. Thanks to China’s continued acceleration and expansion of opening-up, we are also honored to sign a cooperation agreement with the Boao Lecheng International Medical Tourism Pilot Zone in Hainan Province. By capitalizing on the favorable policies for pilot initiatives within the Hainan Free Trade Zone, we aim to expedite the availability of these innovative therapies to Chinese patients in urgent need. Moving forward, Roche will continue to uphold its long-term commitment of ‘Being in China, Serving China’ through concrete actions, thereby benefiting more patients across the country.”

Note: The innovative drugs and their indications mentioned in this article have not yet been officially approved in the Chinese market. The information contained herein is for reference only; please follow the advice or guidance of healthcare professionals.