The pharmaceutical company Roche is ramping up everything it can to provide an automatic high-throughput test for the coronavirus. Roche faces pressure from governments and tough decisions, like CEO Severin Schwan CH Media says.
In Switzerland alone, tens of thousands of these tests have already been delivered, says Schwan. Because they are fully automated, they would “enormously relieve” the hospitals and laboratories. Worldwide, the delivery volume amounts to several million per month.
Huge demand
“We are now ramping up production wherever possible in order to be able to deliver more tests,” says Schwan. It is produced around the clock seven days a week. However, production can only be increased linearly, while the infection rate is increasing exponentially in some countries.
The demand is currently greater than the supply. But how does Roche decide where to deliver? According to Schwan, “a disproportionate number of diagnostic devices are already in use in Switzerland”. However, only high-risk patients should be tested, because Roche cannot fully meet domestic demand.
When it comes to exports, two criteria have to be right, Schwan continues. The country must have a functioning infrastructure. “If there are no diagnostic equipment or insufficient staff, it is of no use to send tests there,” he says. Medical needs are also taken into account: “At the beginning it was mainly China, now Italy, Spain and certain regions of the USA are in focus”.
Government pressure
Because of the high international demand, Roche has to work with governments. “The pressure is great,” says Schwan. Although the company can rely on established relationships in various countries, on the other hand, it is ultimately up to it to decide whether to direct the supply flows.
For example, deliveries to Asia are currently being scaled back – hospitals ordered there in advance. Now the tests went to Europe and the USA instead.
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