Roche Accelerator and member companies debut at CIIE to bolster local health-care innovation ecosystem

The Roche Accelerator today held a ceremony for member companies to debut at the 5th China International Import Expo (CIIE). At the event, Roche Accelerator members shared the achievements under their partnerships and discussed future priorities in the local health-care innovation ecosystem.

A video on the Roche Accelerator Building was also released, holistically demonstrating the Roche global design concepts as well as the building's cutting-edge functions, features and latest progress. Executives and officials from partner Shanghai Zhangjiang Group, Roche Accelerator member companies, and Roche China attended the event and witnessed this important moment.

Dr Hong Shen, head of China Innovation Center of Roche (CICoR), said, "In recent years, China's health-care innovation has been booming, thus unleashing the huge potential of this dynamic market. Roche is doubling down on investment in China and further delivering on its commitment with the Roche Accelerator.

"From independent R&D to incubating local innovation, Roche has been consistently contributing to health-care innovation in China. In the future, Roche looks forward to empowering more startups, translating science from the lab to the clinic, and upgrading 'made in China' to 'created in China,' so as to enable Chinese R&D to serve patients around the world."

Joining hands with local startups to accelerate "created in China"

A total of 11 Roche Accelerator members debuted at the event, including two new members, Helixon and BayOmics. The previous nine members were ETERN Therapeutics, CytosinLab Therapeutics, Keen Therapeutics, Allorion Therapeutics, SQZ China, METiS Therapeutics, GYENNO SCIENCE, Degron Therapeutics and GenomiCare Biotechnology. So far, the existing member companies have reached eight research and early development partnerships with CICoR to explore new science and technology platforms.

These member companies emerged from over 220 applicants and have made unique achievements in their respective research priorities, covering novel biological concepts like protein degradation, phase separation, epigenetics and ferroptosis, as well as new drug modalities in small molecules, large molecules, RNA, and cell therapies.

The companies also specialize in innovation based on big data and algorithms such as artificial intelligence, functional proteomics, and real-world evidence. At the event, Roche Accelerator members said that Roche has provided them with guidance and support on drug research and development, covering disease biology, medicinal chemistry, delivery and formulation, pharmacology and toxicology, clinical trial design and indication selection. All efforts have enhanced the confidence and determination of members to jointly advance local innovation with the Roche Accelerator.

As Roche's first in-house accelerator globally, the Roche Accelerator provides tailor-made support for member startups in pharma, diagnostics, personalized health care, and digital and AI-driven health care. These startups will have access to Roche's full-spectrum of local resources ranging from research and early development to commercialization.

Bolstering Shanghai's ambition as an innovation highland

While helping startups make breakthroughs, the Roche Accelerator will also promote the construction of Zhangjiang's new innovation ecosystem and support Shanghai's ambition to become a science and technology center, by continuously unlocking the potential of China's health-care industry and helping build a world-class healthcare industry cluster with international influence.

As an important partner of the Roche Accelerator, Zhangjiang Group has been highly supportive of the construction and operation of the Roche Accelerator.

Tao Yuan, chairman of the Zhangjiang Group, said, "We are very glad to join hands with Roche to co-build the Roche Accelerator and witness the expansion of like-minded partners. Together with Roche, we benchmark international standards to help startups address common problems as they expand, in order to promote the industrial upgrade of Zhangjiang's biopharma sector and foster a batch of global innovators in the pharmaceutical realm."

Located in the Zhangjiang High-tech Park in the Pudong New Area, the building of the Roche Accelerator that covers an area of over 5,000 square meters, will be inaugurated in the spring of 2023.

At the event, guests watched a video to get a glimpse of the modern building incorporating Roche Group's latest design concepts, first-class lab facilities, office areas and collaboration space.

The Roche Accelerator will also provide members with research funding support, collaboration opportunities and R&D expertise, by formulating tailored plans to help them transform science into medicines and health-care solutions.

Dr Qiusong Tang, head of Roche Accelerator, said, "We look forward to welcoming more start-ups to join the Roche Accelerator. We are committed to working with local start-ups to transform cutting-edge ideas to next-generation drugs or diagnostics under an open, organic, and efficient collaboration ecosystem for win-win results. We hope to leverage the CIIE to unite all partners in fostering innovations in China and promoting them on the global stage."

Continuing to invest in China and delivering on long-term commitment

Roche Group has been rooted in China for over 90 years. China is always an important part of Roche's global strategy. Roche has been committed to doing now what patients need next to deliver on its long-term commitment to China.

As early as 2004, Roche set up the China R&D Center as its first R&D center in emerging markets, and also the first fully foreign-funded R&D center in Shanghai. The center was mainly engaged in drug research and early development.

In 2019, the R&D center was upgraded to a brand new Roche Innovation Center Shanghai (RICS) with a total investment of 863 million yuan.

In 2021, Roche Group invested nearly 300 million yuan to launch the Roche Accelerator with an aim to accelerate health-care innovation and empower the local health-care ecosystem in China.

In 2022, RICS evolved into an autonomous research and early development unit, CICoR as Roche Group announced additional R&D investment to further expand in the China market.