Roche Holding AG history

In 1989, the company transformed its businesses into true divisions, which began to operate like independent companies.

In a move that attracted widespread attention, Roche purchased a majority shareholding in California's leading biotech company, Genentech, Inc. in 1990.

Further strengthening its position in the worldwide healthcare market, in 1991, it purchased Nicholas, a European-based producer of nonprescription medicines.

In 1934, it became the first company to mass-produce synthetic vitamin C, under the brand name Redoxon. It bought the patents for the polymerase chain reaction technique in 1992.

In 1994 it took over Syntex Corporation, which became Roche Bioscience, one of the company's major research and development sites, and led to staff cuts in research, production, and marketing totaling 5,000 jobs.

1995: Fritz Gerber becomes chief executive officer.

Actelion profile and corporate video Actelion is a pharmaceuticals and biotechnology company established in December 1997, headquartered in Allschwil near Basel, Switzerland.

1998: Franz Humer becomes chief executive officer.

Inhibace was the first Roche product designed with the aid of computer modeling techniques and won the 1999 Prix Galien, Roche's fourth such award.

The spin off of Givaudan (formerly the Fragrances and Flavors division) in 2000 left Roche with three divisions: Pharmaceuticals, Diagnostics, and Vitamins and Fine Chemicals.

Other 2001 partnerships included those forged with the Mayo Clinic, Combinatrix Corporation, and Millenium Pharmaceuticals, Inc. in the United States; deCODE genetics in Iceland; Prionics Inc. in Switzerland; and Innogenetics NV in Belgium.

The new enterprise – formed in 2002 by the merger of Nippon Roche and Chugai and named Chugai Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. – is the 5th largest pharmaceuticals company operating in Japan.

In 2003 employees launch the Roche Children’s Walk, a fundraiser for the growing number of HIV/AIDS orphans in Africa.

In 2004 Roche is the first global healthcare company to establish a research and development centre at the Zhangjiang Hi-Tech Park in Shanghai, China.

Roche becomes a founding member of the International Committee of the Red Cross, Corporate Support Group in 2005.

In 2007 Roche receives the first Financial Times Citi Private Bank Environment Award for the greatest improvement in carbon efficiency by a large enterprise both on a European and a global level.

Roche acquires US-based Ventana Inc. in 2008.

The cobas 8000 diagnostics system launches in 2009.

In 2011, the company received the ISPE Facility of the Year Award for Process Innovation for Roche’s “MyDose” Clinical Supply project.

The huge success of the project, which Roche has been supporting from the outset, prompted the decision to launch a second train, Phelophepa II, in 2012.