England: Roche Holding AG is aiming to deliver 20 new medicines to address diseases that rank among the biggest burdens to society this decade, as it seeks to kick-start its development program.
The Swiss drugmaker will target tripling its number of patients between 2020 and 2029, the company said in a presentation posted ahead of an investor meeting in London on Monday. Roche is also seeking to boost its success rate in crucial final-stage clinical trials by about one-fifth, after difficulties clearing that hurdle before drug approvals in recent years.
The new goals are the result of a more than yearlong overhaul of Roche’s research and development, as Chief Executive Officer Thomas Schinecker seeks a fresh direction after a series of failures in cancer and Alzheimer’s disease. The company is now also seeking to challenge Novo Nordisk A/S and Eli Lilly & Co. in the growing market for obesity treatments.
Roche’s current pharmaceutical portfolio will deliver growth through at least 2027, the company said. Schinecker has already pared the pipeline and honed the group’s focus to just five broad categories: cardiovascular disease, ophthalmology, immunology, neurology, and cancer and hematology.
