Pharmaceutical company Roche is seeking a buyer for its antibiotic Rocephin and plans to discontinue production at its Kaiseraugst, Switzerland, facility by the finish of the decade, the company announced Wednesday.
The decision, which follows more than two years of discussions with political bodies, is driven by increasing manufacturing costs, declining prices, and growing competition from generic alternatives, according to site manager Jürg Erismann. Roche intends to find a partner to take over production and supply of the antibiotic, a former billion-dollar blockbuster.
Rising raw material costs are a significant factor in the decision to divest Rocephin, the company stated. The move comes despite ongoing engagement with European and Swiss authorities, including the European Commission’s Health Emergency Response Agency (HERA) and the Swiss Federal Office of Public Health (FOPH), since 2023. Roche had been seeking an agreement with HERA for a sustainable production model, but constructive discussions did not yield a resolution.
The planned closure of Rocephin production is occurring amid broader concerns about the viability of antibiotic manufacturing in Europe. Roche’s announcement follows a recent indication that the company will end manufacturing of a key antibiotic, as reported by Euractiv, highlighting the challenges faced by pharmaceutical companies in maintaining antibiotic production lines.
Despite the planned sale of Rocephin, Roche maintains its commitment to addressing antimicrobial resistance (AMR), a major global health security challenge. The company is investing in new antibiotics and diagnostic technologies, and is currently advancing a novel antibiotic, zosurabalpin, into phase 3 testing for carbapenem-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii (CRAB), identified by the CDC as an “urgent threat.”
Roche emphasizes its role as a leader and innovator in AMR, stating that every discovery in antibiotic therapy represents both a scientific breakthrough and a source of hope. The company notes that AMR costs European health systems more than 9 billion euros annually and adds 20 billion dollars to direct healthcare costs in the USA, with an additional 35 billion dollars in productivity losses.
The company is continuing to invest in research and development in Basel, pursuing new antibiotic research projects alongside the planned divestment of Rocephin production.
