Roche & Genentech Open CVRM Disease R&D Centre in Boston

Significant investment in US manufacturing and R&D has become a cornerstone of Roche and its US subsidiary Genentech’s strategy following Roche's pledge to invest US$50bn in US manufacturing and R&D over the next five years in April 2025.

The latest example of this strategy in action is the opening of the Roche Genentech Innovation Centre Boston, a research hub focused on cardiovascular, renal and metabolic (CVRM) diseases. 

Located at Harvard’s Enterprise Research Campus in Allston, the centre will expand Roche and Genentech’s presence in the Boston life sciences ecosystem. The companies have signed a 10-year lease for the 95,000-square-foot facility, which has capacity for up to 500 people across research, clinical development, data science and other areas.

Manu Chakravarthy, SVP and Global Head of CVRM Product Development at Roche, believes the location will help connect the company with the region’s scientific community. 

Following the grand opening on 17 September 2026, Manu writes on LinkedIn: “Bringing together world-class scientists, academic leaders, clinicians and policymakers for a day of dialogue about the future of medicine reinforced a fundamental truth: solving the complex challenges of cardiovascular, renal and metabolic disease is not something any of us can do alone.

“Putting our roots down here in Allston within the vibrant Boston life sciences ecosystem reflects our long-term commitment to this scientific community and to the millions of patients worldwide counting on us to deliver breakthrough medicines.”

CVRM diseases: a growing health burden

CVRM diseases represent a significant and growing burden for patients and health systems worldwide.

Conditions across these areas are closely interconnected but have traditionally been studied and treated separately. Roche and Genentech are seeking to bring these disease areas together to better understand their shared biology and pursue more integrated approaches to treatment.

The centre will advance research across areas including obesity and type 2 diabetes, metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis (MASH), hypertension and cardiovascular disease.

AI, machine learning and data science will also form an integral part of the research. Teams from Roche Product Development and Genentech Research and Early Development (gRED) will work together across an end-to-end R&D environment, spanning early-stage discovery through to late-stage clinical development.

Boston’s life sciences community

The Boston facility brings together scientists working across discovery research, clinical development, artificial intelligence and data science.

The centre complements Roche's established R&D teams in South San Francisco and Basel, while connecting Roche and Genentech scientists with researchers, talent and institutions across Boston’s scientific and biotechnology ecosystem.

“This investment in Boston is an important part of our commitment to expand our US manufacturing and R&D footprint. By investing in scientific talent, new capabilities and infrastructure, we are strengthening our ability to discover and develop the next generation of medicines for patients,” says Dr Thomas Schinecker, CEO of Roche.

Political leaders in Massachusetts also welcomed the investment.

“Massachusetts leads the world in life sciences because we bring together the best researchers, workers, universities and companies to solve big challenges and improve people’s lives,” says Maura Healey, Governor of Massachusetts.

Echoing these sentiments, Boston Mayor Michelle Wu adds: “Boston will continue to lead in life science and innovation because of the extraordinary companies that chose to bring their ideas, talent and investment to our city.”

Roche’s manufacturing investment continues 

The Boston centre forms part of a wider expansion of Roche and Genentech’s US footprint across R&D and manufacturing.

In August 2026, the pair announced plans to invest approximately US$750m in a device fill-finish manufacturing facility at its Hillsboro, Oregon campus. The investment will double the size of the existing facility, with commercial operations expected to begin in 2031.

The announcement quickly followed the completion of Genentech’s manufacturing facility in Holly Springs, North Carolina.

The site, which is designed to support production of the company’s future portfolio of metabolic medicines, including next-generation obesity treatments, was initially touted as a US$700m investment in 2025 but eventually grew to become a $2bn facility.

Both projects sit within Roche’s broader US$50bn commitment, announced in April 2025, to invest in pharmaceuticals and diagnostics across US manufacturing and R&D over five years. The programme includes new R&D facilities, manufacturing expansions and new manufacturing sites across the country.

Roche - key CVRM partners

Alnylam Pharmaceuticals

CEO: Yvonne Greenstreet | HQ: Cambridge, Massachusetts, US

Roche and Alnylam are co-developing and co-commercialising zilebesiran, an investigational RNA interference (RNAi) treatment for hypertension. The partnership combines Alnylam’s RNAi expertise with Roche’s development and commercial capabilities, with the companies advancing zilebesiran through Phase 3 cardiovascular outcomes studies. The treatment is designed to provide sustained blood-pressure control with twice-yearly dosing.

Zealand Pharma

CEO: Adam Steensberg | HQ: Søborg, Denmark

Roche and Zealand Pharma entered an exclusive collaboration in 2025 to co-develop and co-commercialise petrelintide, Zealand’s long-acting amylin analogue for overweight and obesity. The partnership also covers a potential fixed-dose combination with Roche’s CT-388, its lead incretin asset, creating potential treatment options for weight management and related metabolic conditions.