Philippine Ambassador to Switzerland Maria Theresa P. Lazaro met with Roche Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Dr. Severin Schwan in a meeting held at the Roche Headquarters in Basel. Roche is the global market leader in innovative diagnostic and therapeutic products and services, and a leading supplier of prescription medicines in selected therapeutic areas such as oncology, virology, transplantation. The Roche Group recorded total sales of 11.6 billion Swiss francs in the first quarter of 2009.

During the meeting, Ambassador Lazaro discussed with Dr. Schwan, Roche’s role in addressing the swine flu virus A (H1N1) because of its production of the antiviral flu medicine, Tamiflu. According to Roche, it is closely working with the World Health Organization (WHO) and health officials globally by increasing its production of Tamiflu, 

The Roche CEO has also indicated its intent in the Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) capacity of the Philippines, in addition to its subsidiary, Roche Philippines, which has been in existence since 1962 and employing over 250 people.