Clinical Trial: Roche, Genentech Layoffs in Immuno-Oncology

What's the latest?

Swiss multinational healthcare company Roche recently laid off 135 employees out of 160 from the Genentech cancer immunotherapy division, according to a December 9, 2022, article in BioSpace.

Genentech is an American biotechnology company based in South San Francisco, Calif., that is a member of the Roche Group.

Roche acquired all of Genentech in 2009, which was initially a joint venture founded in 1976.

The Cancer Immunity Cycle

In 2001, Genentech scientists Dan Chen and Ira Mellman developed the cancer immunity cycle, a theoretical framework that describes how the immune system detects and destroys cancer cells. It has become a basis for cancer immunotherapy research and development.

Some cancer cells can evade the immune system by expressing proteins called checkpoints on their surface. These checkpoints signal to T cells, a type of white blood cell that kills cancer cells, that the cell is not a threat. Cancer immunotherapy drugs work by blocking these checkpoints, allowing T cells to recognize and kill cancer cells.

Immune-Oncology and Immunotherapy

Immune-oncology is a rapidly growing field of cancer treatment that uses the body's own immune system to fight cancer. Immunotherapy drugs have shown great promise in treating a variety of cancers, including melanoma, lung cancer, and bladder cancer.

Roche is one of the leading companies in the field of immune-oncology. The company's Genentech division has developed a number of successful immunotherapy drugs, including atezolizumab (Tecentriq) and pembrolizumab (Keytruda).

The Future of Immuno-Oncology

The future of immune-oncology is bright. As the field continues to grow, new and more effective immunotherapy drugs are being developed. These drugs have the potential to revolutionize the way we treat cancer.

Questions and Answers

What is immune-oncology?

Immune-oncology is a field of cancer treatment that uses the body's own immune system to fight cancer.

What is immunotherapy?

Immunotherapy is a type of cancer treatment that uses drugs to block checkpoints on cancer cells, allowing T cells to recognize and kill them.

What is the cancer immunity cycle?

The cancer immunity cycle is a theoretical framework that describes how the immune system detects and destroys cancer cells.

Which company developed the cancer immunity cycle?

Genentech scientists Dan Chen and Ira Mellman developed the cancer immunity cycle in 2001.

What is Roche?

Roche is a Swiss multinational healthcare company that is one of the leading companies in the field of immune-oncology.

Sources

• Roche's Genentech Lays Off 135 in Its Cancer Immunology Group Restructuring
• The cancer immunity cycle
• Roche makes strategic changes within its Oncology business unit