Roche introduced ten different corona tests in Germany within a year.
For some of this, the raw materials come from the Penzberg plant.
The company also plans to offer a self-test shortly.
The laboratories are also working on drugs against Covid-19.
Penzberg - Roche in Germany with its three large locations in Mannheim, Penzberg and Grenzach-Whylen took stock of the past financial year in an online media conference on Monday.
The focus was on the corona pandemic.
The company announced that it has currently introduced ten tests in Germany for the detection of Sars-CoV-2 within a year, including antibody, PCR and antigen rapid tests as well as an antigen laboratory test and blood-based laboratory tests.
It was also said that the pharmaceutical division is testing approved drugs in clinical studies for their suitability against Covid-19 and, for example, in a partnership with the US company Regeneron, is developing new drugs to avoid severe courses.
Roche plant in Penzberg produces raw materials for corona tests
The Roche plant in Penzberg also makes a contribution to the fight against Corona.
When asked, Claus Haberda, Managing Director of Roche Diagnostics GmbH, explained that starting materials for PCR tests are manufactured in Penzberg and also supplied to competitors.
In addition, the Penzberg plant produces antibodies for the antibody tests as well as input materials for the laboratory antigen tests, but not for the corona rapid tests, including a new test for in-house use.
Roche invested almost half a billion euros in Germany in 2020
According to the company, Roche invested 490 million euros in its German sites last year, including infrastructure and production facilities.
Of this, Penzberg accounted for 190 million euros.
Between 2016 and 2020, 1.2 billion euros were invested in the Penzberg plant.
As reported, the number of employees rose last year by 400 to 6,800. Roche has a total of 17,200 employees in Germany.
Many of them are currently working from home.
According to the company, the Penzberg plant has between 2,400 and 2,700 employees every day.
They would ensure the supply of drugs and diagnostic tests to patients and would have to be on site for research and development in the pharmaceutical and diagnostics division.
The rest work from home.
In the German locations you have a "below average infection rate", it said.
According to Managing Director Haberda, the latest growth in Penzberg is not solely due to the corona pandemic.
150 of the 400 employees were hired to produce the active ingredient atezolizumab for the drug Tecentriq, which is approved for the treatment of metastatic lung cancer and bladder cancer, among other things.
In addition to Basel, Roche Penzberg has received approval for production as a second location.
Roche: The Penzberg site continues to grow
The Penzberg location will also grow in 2021, announced Haberda.
According to him, production capacities are being expanded for reagents and input materials for corona tests as well as for diagnostic tests in other areas.
A new diagnostic research building is also to be built, in which research and development activities for diagnostic tests are bundled.
Haberda also spoke of the fact that the factory, which has been in existence for 49 years, will renovate older buildings.
Roche receives special approval for corona self-test
Roche also announced on Monday that the Federal Institute for Drugs and Medical Devices has issued special approval for a corona self-test.
Laypeople can use this rapid antigen test themselves at home using a nasal swab.
According to Roche, the result should be available after 15 minutes.
The test will be available in pharmacies and will not require a prescription.
The first deliveries are planned for this week.
Christian Paetzke, Managing Director of Roche Diagnostics Germany, explained that a monthly number in the double-digit million range is possible for Germany.
At the same time, he recommended that a positive self-test result be verified with a PCR test.
According to Roche, the self-test has a relative sensitivity of 91.2 percent for samples with a high viral load.
Also read: Institute for Pandemic Research in Penzberg - top-class group presents plans
