Roche to invest in Cape Town site to accommodate rapid growth and future expansion for its Diagnostics business

CAPE TOWN, South Africa, Feb. 27, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Roche (SIX: RO, ROG; OTCQX: RHHBY)  has entered into a long-term lease in the Brackengate 2 Business Park jointly developed by Redefine Properties and VDMV Property Group in Cape Town, South Africa, where the new Roche Diagnostics Cape Town site will be built, featuring laboratory, biotech production and office workspace. 

"We are excited about strengthening the Roche presence in Cape Town, a rapidly growing tech corridor, to deliver truly innovative products to our patients and customers now and well into the future," said Clive Ernstzen, Site Head, Roche Cape Town. "With this investment, we look forward to increasing our research, development and biotech production capabilities and continuing our strong collaboration with the Cape Town scientific community."

Within the next three years, Roche plans for nearly 300 employees to work from its new Cape Town site. Timelines for design, construction and occupation are being finalized, and Cape Town employees will remain at their current location in Salt River until the new building is completed.

"As a high-performance African business hub, Cape Town is an excellent location for businesses looking to launch their operations into Africa and beyond, and I am thrilled that Roche has chosen to expand its investment in our city," said James Vos, Mayoral Committee Member for Economic Opportunities and Asset Management in Cape Town. "Our city is the leading health tech hub on the continent, and we have focused on attracting investment which creates jobs and leads to economic growth. This is yet more confirmation that Cape Town is open for business and there has never been a better time to invest in our beautiful city."

About Roche
Roche is a global pioneer in pharmaceuticals and diagnostics focused on advancing science to improve people's lives. The combined strengths of pharmaceuticals and diagnostics under one roof have made Roche the leader in personalised healthcare – a strategy that aims to fit the right treatment to each patient in the best way possible.

Roche is the world's largest biotech company, with truly differentiated medicines in oncology, immunology, infectious diseases, ophthalmology and diseases of the central nervous system. Roche is also the world leader in in vitro diagnostics and tissue-based cancer diagnostics, and a frontrunner in diabetes management.

Founded in 1896, Roche continues to search for better ways to prevent, diagnose and treat diseases and make a sustainable contribution to society. The company also aims to improve patient access to medical innovations by working with all relevant stakeholders. More than thirty medicines developed by Roche are included in the World Health Organization Model Lists of Essential Medicines, among them life-saving antibiotics, antimalarials and cancer medicines. Moreover, for the eleventh consecutive year, Roche has been recognised as one of the most sustainable companies in the Pharmaceuticals Industry by the Dow Jones Sustainability Indices (DJSI).

The Roche Group, headquartered in Basel, Switzerland, is active in over 100 countries and in 2019 employed about 98,000 people worldwide. In 2019, Roche invested CHF 11.7 billion in R&D and posted sales of CHF 61.5 billion. Genentech, in the United States, is a wholly owned member of the Roche Group. Roche is the majority shareholder in Chugai Pharmaceutical, Japan. For more information, please visit www.roche.com.

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Media Contact:
Elizabeth Baxter
Media Relations Roche Molecular Solutions
Elizabeth.Baxter@Roche.com
925.523.8812

Clive Ernstzen
Site Head, Roche Diagnostics Cape Town
clive.ernstzen@Roche.com
+27 71 491-3870

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