Roche, one of the world's leading research-intensive healthcare groups, has officially opened its new R&D centre at Zhangjiang Hi-Tech Park in Shanghai, China. The inauguration was part of the festivities for Roche's 10th anniversary in China on Saturday. The new research centre, which is part of the Roche global R&D operation, will focus on medicinal chemistry research for lead generation and optimisation. Initially, it will be staffed with 40 scientists.
Chairman and CEO Franz B. Humer said: "Roche is proud to establish its new R&D centre in China. This will be Roche's fifth Pharma research site and the knowledge exchange with our existing research sites in Europe and the US will support our mission to develop and produce innovative, clinically differentiated medicines. We can rely on a wealth of intellectual expertise and with our financial investments, we want to underline Roche's long-term commitment to China".
The centre will work with JiangJiang High Tech Park to promote the district to become a leading biomedical research based epicentre of drug research and discovery in China.
Roche also announced that it was building a second high tech manufacturing facility in Shanghai to produce the cancer medicine Xeloda and the transplantation medicine CellCept for the Chinese market as of 2006. The production facility is designed fully to international standards, complying with GMP regulations and safety, health and environmental principles, the company said.
The opening of Roche's new R&D centre and the foundation laying of the second production plant were part of the celebration activities marking Roche's 10th anniversary in Shanghai. In 1926, Roche opened its first subsidiary in Shanghai and returned to the Chinese market in 1988. Roche's first joint venture - Shanghai Roche Pharmaceuticals Ltd. - was set up in 1994. This was followed by Roche Diagnostics (Shanghai) Ltd. in 2000. Over the past ten years, both Shanghai Roche Pharmaceuticals and Roche Diagnostics Shanghai have achieved significant success in China.