The Roche Collaboration

F. Hoffmann-La Roche (Roche)

In July 2003, Aspreva entered into a collaboration agreement with Roche for the exclusive worldwide* rights to develop and commercialize their leading transplantation drug worldwide, CellCept (mycophenolate mofetil/MMF), in all autoimmune disease applications, with the rights to new formulations through 2017.

The Roche collaboration is one example of Aspreva's flexibility in entering into partnerships that satisfy the needs of both parties. It represents a new model for partnering - deliberate asset management that addresses the needs of patients with less common diseases.

Aspreva has undertaken a global program that will form the basis of formal regulatory approval submissions for CellCept in autoimmune diseases. Roche is able to maintain focus on the core market of transplantation while extending the benefits of CellCept to a broader patient population.

* excluding Japan

Strategically Leveraging Strengths and Resources

Utilizing the strengths and resources of each company, the Roche-Aspreva collaboration uses the following structure to support research and development of CellCept for autoimmune diseases:

Clinical trials are currently underway to evaluate the potential benefits of MMF as a treatment for the following autoimmune diseases. For information about the status of our research, please see the clinical trials page.

Ambassador Status

Aspreva was recently granted the honour of receiving Ambassador Status in Roche's Pharma Partnering's Ambassador Partner Program.

In January 2005, Roche Pharma Partnering launched a new partnering initiative, the Ambassador Partner program, in which Pharma Partnering has identified key partnerships that add value and enhance Roche's reputation as a distinctive and unique partner.

To learn more about Aspreva's research in autoimmune diseases, please visit our Areas of Research page.