Abstract
Roche has a diverse portfolio of interest, ranging from food additives to pharmaceuticals and diagnostics. In terms of DNA patents, almost half have been awarded for polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-based techniques. These currently give rise to an income of approximately US$125 m per annum. Surprisingly, the rate at which Roche is filing patents in this area seems to be decreasing. In other areas of pharmaceutical research, Roche is under-represented in patents for human DNA sequences, probably due to its ownership of Genentech, a major player is this area.