SUCCESS STORIES

Biomedical research rewards patience—discoveries take years to come to fruition, partnerships take time to build trust and real impact often becomes visible only after sustained collaboration. Roche’s presence in Singapore, spanning more than five decades, offers a case study in what can emerge when a global pharmaceutical company grows alongside a research ecosystem that values continuity as much as ambition.

Since establishing its presence here in 1973, Roche has steadily deepened its engagement with Singapore’s biomedical network. What started as a regional foothold has evolved into a network of research, clinical and translational collaborations that extend well beyond the city-state.

That evolution mirrors Singapore’s own long-term investment in biomedical sciences. “There is a shared recognition that we need to keep up with the latest technologies, and that requires partners who push one another to reach the latest developments,” said Yeoh Ying Ying, General Manager of Roche Pharmaceuticals Singapore.

From discovery to patients: ophthalmology as a proving ground

One of the clearest expressions of that shared growth is Roche’s collaboration with the Singapore Eye Research Institute (SERI). Over more than a decade, the partnership contributed to the development and clinical validation of Vabysmo, a bi-specific antibody also known as faricimab, used as a therapeutic for retinal diseases.

“We went into ophthalmology because we saw the rising prevalence and burden of conditions associated with an ageing population,” explained Yeoh. These conditions include neovascular age-related macular degeneration where abnormal blood vessels grow and leak fluid under the retina, causing it to deteriorate and impair vision, as well as diabetic macular oedema where fluid accumulates in the retina as a complication of diabetes.

“Vabysmo was intended as an option to not only treat these diseases but also reduce treatment burden,” Yeoh added. “Our aim was to bring something that is both efficacious and able to allow patients to extend the interval between injections from every month to just once every three to five months.”

While the molecule itself was discovered and developed by Roche, SERI played a critical role in its pre-clinical development and later participated in global clinical trials that supported regulatory approvals in major markets in 2022. SERI’s value lay not only in its scientific capabilities but also in its ability to support the entire translational pathway.

“SERI was chosen because they have the end-to-end capabilities, from pre-clinical research to clinical trials,” Yeoh explained. “With collaborations, you’re not just choosing a site. You’re selecting a partner who has the expertise and the interest to co-create, gives very practical insights and is willing to stay the course to develop something meaningful.”

Singapore’s contribution was also shaped by its regional context. Retinal diseases present differently across populations, and certain subtypes, such as polypoidal choroidal vasculopathy, are more prevalent in Asian patients. Conducting research in Singapore allowed Roche to explore these nuances in a way that informed global development.

Innovation, in this setting, was not framed solely around efficacy. Reducing treatment burden with fewer clinic visits and longer intervals between injections was equally central. Such considerations matter to patients, caregivers and healthcare systems alike, particularly in ageing societies where demand for clinical services continues to rise.

Scaling collaboration through global networks

On top of individual partnerships, Roche is also interested in collaboration at scale. In 2024, the Singapore Translational Cancer Consortium (STCC) joined Roche’s Immunotherapy Centers of Research Excellence (imCORE) network, becoming its first SEA member and the first consortium to be included. Supported by the Biomedical Sciences Industry Partnership Office (BMSIPO), the move brought together Singapore’s public healthcare and research institutions under a single collaborative framework.

“As a consortium, it provides Roche and the imCORE network with a single streamlined entry point into Singapore’s top oncology expertise,” said Yeoh.

For Roche, participation in imCORE is about co-creation. Member institutions contribute early insights, data and perspectives that shape research directions, particularly in areas where Asian populations are under-represented in global studies. For Singapore, the benefit lies in early exposure to emerging science and the opportunity to influence research that is globally relevant yet locally informed.

The connective tissue underlying enduring partnerships

Complex collaborations rarely succeed on scientific merit alone. They depend on understanding who to work with, how to align priorities and how to move projects through regulatory and operational requirements without losing momentum.

This is where BMSIPO has played an important role in Roche’s journey. Since 2010, the office has supported Roche by mapping institutional capabilities, facilitating introductions and helping scope collaborations aligned with the company’s research priorities. Yeoh described its role succinctly: “connector, matchmaker and ecosystem navigator.”

Yeoh explained that in a system with many strong institutions, it can be difficult to know where to start. BMSIPO helped Roche connect with strategic partners, and navigate the complexity that comes after, by offering guidance on available grants, partnerships and regulatory processes.

By guiding MNCs in the right direction and introducing them to the right partners, BMSIPO builds on Singapore’s strong healthcare research ecosystem to bring value to both global companies and local institutes.