Roche: bringing cutting-edge in vitro diagnostics

Roche Diagnostics has geared up for the first China International Import Expo in Shanghai this month, a move that highlights the significance of the Chinese market in its global strategy and its long-term commitment to the Healthy China 2030 blueprint.

As a research-driven company committed to innovation, Roche Diagnostics develops and provides products spanning the entire health care value chain, from early detection, prevention and diagnosis to monitoring of diseases treatment. The company entered the Chinese market in 2000 and has quickly expanded its business scope since then, making China its second largest market, only after the United States.

“On the 40th anniversary of China’s reform and opening up, the CIIE is a great opportunity for companies to exhibit cutting-edge products, as well as for China to leverage its international influence,” said Wong Fatt-heng, General Manager of Roche Diagnostics China, who was awarded “Honorary Citizen of Shanghai” and “Friendship Award of P.R. China” back in 2016. “We are so glad to be part of this prime gathering. We’ve been striving to bring leading diagnostic technologies to China as fast as we can, so that people in China can embrace a better life enlightened by medical progress.”

Along with Roche Pharmaceuticals, the global diagnostic giant is set to host one of the largest CIIE medical booths under Roche Group. During the event, the Swiss company will unveil the value of in-vitro diagnostics (IVDs). CIIE provides a major opportunity for the world IVD leader to showcase its unique range of innovative products, depth and breadth of technologies, and overall geographic presence.

Performed on blood, tissue or other patient samples, IVDs are a critical source of objective information for improved disease management and patient care. Considered as “silent champion” of health care, IVDs influence over 60 percent of clinical decisions, while accounting for only about 2 percent of total health care spending.

Precision health care: new light for Chinese patients

Precision health care is a strategic cornerstone at Roche, and it will be one of the highlights of Roche Group on CIIE. The diagnosis and treatment of oncology makes up a crucial part of precision health care, which involves the development of companion diagnostics (CDx) and related therapeutics.

CDx empowers physicians to identify patients who are most likely to benefit from a particular therapeutic product and also monitor response to treatment with a particular therapeutic product for the purpose of adjusting treatment to achieve improved safety or effectiveness.

Roche Diagnostics provides CDx for the management of high-risk tumors including lung cancer, breast cancer, etc. With immunotherapy being a hot topic worldwide, Roche diagnostics will present its recent advances in immunotherapy such as PD-L1 related tests during CIIE. These products have been successfully launched in overseas markets and the company expect to accelerate its entry into China market by leveraging its presence at CIIE.

Digital health care: new steps into medical care system

One of the many approaches taken by Roche Diagnostics to act upon the Healthy China initiative is the deepening facilitation of its primary medical care system.

The essential task is to implement a hierarchical medical system that will play a pivotal role in easing medical expenses and catering to differing demands.

Many primary medical care institutions in China, including urban community centers and rural hospitals, are falling short of expertise in technical inspection and management.

As one of the key IVD technologies, pathological diagnosis is considered as the gold standard in cancer diagnosis which is the final diagnosis to determine the disease.

Digital pathology is valuable for addressing the uneven distribution of resources and meeting the dire need for experts. With artificial intelligence and big data, Roche Diagnostics aims to relieve pathologists’ workloads and contribute to remote and auxiliary diagnoses to meet patient demand for better treatment under the notion of WIT120 (Wise Information Technology of 120).

New instrument : lab solution to testing efficiency

Testing efficiency is critical for health care professionals to make fast and reliable treatment decisions timely. By optimized lab automation, simplified workflow and reduced manual handling, patients can receive the testing results faster and be diagnosed timely.

During CIIE, Roche Diagnostics will showcase its new dedicated high-volume testing immunoassay solution called cobas e 801. As diagnostic laboratories evolve to meet growing workloads in an increasingly challenging environment, cobas e 801 module offers high value through its flexibility, which allows for the efficient use of existing resources such as space, infrastructure and personnel. The module is designed for maximum consolidation at a high throughput, continuous operation and, at the same time, it reduces the amount of waste generated, for more environmentally friendly testing.

Roche Diagnostics: continue to invest in Chinese market

In the past 18 years, Roche Diagnostics has witnessed and participated in the development of IVD industry in China. With faith in excellent business environment and rapid growth of enlarged health industry, Roche Diagnostics will continue to invest in the market and introduce breakthrough diagnostic solutions for health care professionals and patients, and ultimately benefits society as a whole.

“The host of CIIE not only boosts a new round of high level opening-up policy, but also indicates China’s big movement to actively open up the market to the world. The participation of Roche represents our long-term commitment to driving innovations in China’s health care industry and we also get new commercial opportunities from this multi-win platform.” Mr. Wong added. “We sincerely hope that the company can pave the way to the future of health care with innovations, and that our efforts will be used and understood by more and more people in China.”