When researcher Jens Barthold starts work every day in Roche’s brand-new pharmaceutical research and early development center, he brings the inspiration of his two grandmothers with him.
For a decade, Jens, an organic chemist at Roche, researched new ways to shut down cancer, the disease that took the life of his beloved grandmother, Gertraud. In the past year, his focus has shifted to uncovering scientific mysteries of Alzheimer’s disease, which impacts his 91-year-old grandmother, Berlinde, and millions of other people globally.
“This is a big motivation for me,” Jens says from his lab in the state-of-the-art Roche Pharma Research and Early Development Center (or pRED Center for short) at the company’s headquarters in Basel, Switzerland. “When you have family members who are affected by these diseases, it makes it very personal.”
Jens is inspired to do his best work at the center, which he says promotes collaboration and accelerates discovery with the goal of developing better treatments for patients.
The Basel facility, which is the most recent of the pRED Innovation Centers globally, is home to 1,800 scientists like Jens who are working to address unmet needs in cardiovascular and metabolic diseases, immunology, infectious diseases, neurological diseases, oncology, ophthalmology and rare diseases.
As an ophthalmologist, Isabel Bachmeier treated patients with eye diseases for six years before following her passion for research, with the goal of finding better solutions for patients as a clinical imaging scientist at Roche. She keeps her patients at the top of her mind as she conducts research in the new center, and believes increased collaboration with discovery scientists and data scientists can help lead to even better and faster discovery of new treatments and biomarkers. “There are so many great conversations taking place, even when you are refilling your water bottle or you drop by the desk of a colleague. I believe these interactions and collaborations in this new center can accelerate innovation for those who need it the most - patients.”
At Roche, our scientists are passionate about translating science and technology into groundbreaking innovation aimed at improving people’s lives. Our vision to revolutionise healthcare through innovation started more than 125 years ago, with the founding of our family-owned company. We invest billions in R&D each year, with the goal of improving the lives of patients in every part of the world. Our unique network of
More than 2,300 scientists spanning four countries make up our global pRED community. Like Jens and Isabel, our scientists come from diverse backgrounds and perspectives, with expertise in biology, medicine, technology, data and AI. They learn from and challenge one another to find the most promising solutions for patients.
The pRED Center Basel brings a skilled and committed research community under one roof, supporting our mission to discover and develop novel, breakthrough medicines that provide meaningful benefit to patients and reduce the healthcare burden on society. From design through construction, the center is built to promote life-changing discoveries.
When planning the new center in Basel, we combined learnings from our research centers in
Two high-rise laboratory buildings, an office building and a convention center make up this one-of-a-kind complex. Hans Clevers, Head of pRED, says, “I have seen many research buildings and institutes in my life but nothing compares to the new pRED Center. When I entered the spaces in this building, I could feel my hands start itching - I wanted to be at the bench and starting an experiment. I know that this facility will foster innovation and inspire all of the scientists who come to work here.”
The pRED Center Basel, however, is far more than a state-of-the-art research and early development center. Without a supportive culture rooted in collaboration and inclusivity, our scientific teams and their research would not flourish. Collaborative workspaces are designed so that laboratories sit side-by-side with office spaces to encourage idea exchange and creativity, creating an environment where teams can reach their potential, where innovation is nurtured and scientific boundaries are pushed.
The numbers tell the story. In 2023 alone, pRED filed 103 patent applications for new inventions. Our new scientific home will support our teams to continue this level of innovation and discovery long into the future.
Roche also recognises that we cannot do this alone. The best innovation happens through a mix of internal and external expertise. We build our skills and capabilities through deep, long-lasting connections with scientific and industry partners, academia and patient groups. The pRED Center hopes to bring together Basel’s scientific network through ultramodern facilities that spark imagination and lead to future collaborations.
Patients are at the heart of all we do at Roche. Delivering life-changing medicines to the patients we serve is helping to shape the future of healthcare.
We are honored to have created this center of R&D excellence in Basel, which is a science capital and the birthplace of Roche, to help us fulfill our mission. We are on the lookout for new partners and inquisitive scientists to help us achieve our vision. Please contact us to discover more about our work in saving and improving lives, and how you might be part of our future.
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