Cooperation with healthcare professionals

Clinical trials are mandatory in the development of a new medicine and are conducted together with researchers, doctors and other medical professionals in clinics, hospitals or other study centres. This includes researching and documenting the efficacy and safety of the new medicines in close cooperation with healthcare professionals, patients and the industry. Only through this close cooperation of all parties involved can clinical trials be carried out to the required quality so that urgently needed medicines reach patients as quickly as possible. The time and expertise that healthcare professionals contribute to a clinical trial should be appropriately remunerated.

Every year, medical advances continue to accelerate and a multitude of new medicines, new indications, devices, etc. are introduced into medical practice. Patients have a right to well-informed, well-trained doctors. New medicines in particular are often highly complex and must be used responsibly. Further training opportunities, for example at conferences, are therefore indispensable and are supported by us. In this way, we can make the findings we have gained together with medical specialists in clinical trials available to a wider circle of healthcare professionals for the benefit of patients. Important training conferences include ESMO (European Society for Medical Oncology), the World Conference on Lung Cancer, the St. Gallen International Breast Cancer Conference, ECTRIMS (European Committee for Treatment and Research of Multiple Sclerosis) and EULAR (Annual European Congress of Rheumatology).
 

The disclosure of pecuniary benefits to healthcare professionals and organisations (including hospitals, clinics, universities and research institutions) is governed by the Pharmaceutical Cooperation Code (PCC), which sets binding standards and requirements for interactions with professionals and healthcare organisations.
 

In accordance with the Principles of Integrity of the PCC, Roche Pharma (Schweiz) AG provides such benefits as, for example

• contributions for the education and training of healthcare professionals, such as invitations to conferences where healthcare professionals gain insights into scientific advances and new therapies,

• contributions to a research fund and for specific research projects by a health-related institution,

• contributions to healthcare organisations which use a grant to fund the participation of professionals in medical education and training,

• funding for research fellowships.
   

In accordance with the principles of the PCC, once a year Roche Pharma (Schweiz) AG publishes in its Disclosure Report the total value of these contributions to healthcare professionals and organisations as well as information on the nature of the cooperation. Roche Pharma (Schweiz) AG has also decided to no longer enter into collaborations with specialists or organisations that do not agree to the disclosure as of 2019.