Genentech, a leading biotechnology company, recently announced the permanent closing of their Cancer Immunology Department. This announcement comes as a major surprise in the scientific community.
Genentech was founded in 1976 by Robert Swanson and Dr. Herbert Boyer. According to Genentech’s website, Swanson reached out to Boyer for his work in recombinant DNA technology. As a result of their meeting, Genentech was created and produced medicines with the new technology developed by Boyer. The company’s headquarters are in San Francisco due to Boyer’s career as a scientist and professor at the University of California, San Francisco. In 2009 Genentech merged with the Roche Group, based in Switzerland. Roche is one of the world’s leading biotechnology companies and bought Genentech with the understanding that the two companies would combine pharmaceutical operations in America. Genentech has continued to be a member of the Roche Group and a leader in the biotechnology sector.
Since its founding, the company has rapidly expanded with research plants all over the world. They also became known within the scientific community as a biotechnology company that pioneers cutting-edge research. More specifically, not only does the company develop pharmaceutical drugs, but they also employ scientists to drive novel research to further improve compounds and medications for patients. This is a unique characteristic of the Genentech, since many pharmaceutical companies focus almost solely on Research and Development (R&D). The exploratory freedom provided to scientists is engrained into Genentech’s founding vision by Boyer and Swanson.
Since their inception, the company has been involved in multiple collaborations with developments on drugs treating various diseases. Genentech has worked with companies such as 23andMe to learn more about gene expression in patients and how it is related to genetic disorders. The company also worked to develop checkpoint inhibitors, which is a class of immunotherapy drugs that redirect immune cells to target cancer. As different collaborations formed and the company grew, new departments were created to specialize in specific fields. One of these departments included Cancer Immunology, which focuses on the study of the immune system in the context of cancer and developing novel therapies.
In a surprising announcement, Genentech has decided to close its Cancer Immunology Department. Consequently, the department head, Ira Mellman, a world leader in cancer research, will be leaving Genentech after 17 years. The research conducted in the department will merge with molecular oncology research. According to the Genentech spokesperson, the decision was made to optimize efficiency and take advantage of current research opportunities in the field. The company made it known that the decision was not based on the lack of interest in cancer immunology, but the allocation of resources.
Cancer Immunology is not the only department merging. The discovery research done in human pathobiology & OMNI reverse translation group will merge with immunology (a separate department from cancer immunology) and neuroscience. The company also stressed they do not plan to reduce the size of the company and this merger would only impact a small number of employees. Although the company has eliminated the Cancer Immunology Department, the impact of the research is not lost. Genentech maintains their dedication to discovery science to improve medical treatment and patient care.