We have robust global systems in place to continuously monitor the safety of a drug, from the time it is evaluated in clinical studies to the end of its life on the market. This process includes:
a proactive safety management plan supported by qualified physicians who monitor overall safety
risk management plans reviewed and approved by regulatory authorities
product recall procedure to ensure that we can withdraw products quickly, if a quality or safety problem arises
We also review various databases, including our own global database, other safety databases and large patient healthcare databases to help us spot potential safety risks. This includes regular review of published literature in the area and other publications on similar products (e.g. same class or same mode of action).
Roche’s Safety Risk Management Department systematically monitors all Roche drugs worldwide — both before and after they are launched. Whenever a new adverse event is identified which may have causal association to the Roche product, we evaluate all available data and work with the health authorities to update the product labelling as appropriate.