Roche unveils Shanghai Innovation Center
Vice Director of Shanghai Commerce Commission Yang Chao (left) and Roche Group CEO Severin Schwan put on the final touch for the building completion ceremony of the Roche Innovation Center Shanghai in Zhangjiang on Monday.
Roche has unveiled its 863-million- yuan (US$121.5 million) Innovation Center in Shangai as it deepens early-stage drug research work in the world's second-largest pharmaceutical market.
The Roche Innovation Center Shanghai was completed after three years of construction. The building, with 26,000 square meters and 220 modular work areas, will become fully operational by the first quarter next year.
"China plays a vital role in the global strategy of Roche and we're committed to making Shanghai the third strategic global center of Roche following Basel and San Francisco," said Severin Schwan, CEO of Roche Group, said.
"We will continue to focus on the discovery and development of innovative medicines and deliver on our long-term commitment to China," he added.
The local R&D arm has filed 223 patent applications as of September this year, 121 of which have already been granted.
Hong Chow, CEO of Roche Pharma China, added that it will continue to work with the government, medical institutions and non-governmental organizations to strengthen innovative capability, accelerate the commercialization and delivery of innovative drugs.
One of the center's projects is phase-one clinical trials for four hepatitis B molecules of different mechanisms, with several other new projects now in the pre-clinical stage of research.
“The Roche Innovation Center Shanghai will help to deepen the cooperation among our scientists to achieve more with innovation. We truly believe that the building will deliver more breakthroughs to more patients in the near future," commented Bryn Roberts, senior vice president and global head of operations for Roche Pharma Research and Early Development.
