NEW YORK – Genentech on Friday said it will shut down its cancer immunology unit and merge its functions with Genentech Research and Early Development into a single oncology organization.
A Genentech spokesperson said the move was a strategic decision related to shifts in the science of immuno-oncology. The discovery functions currently within the Department of Human Pathobiology and OMNI Reverse Translation will also transfer to the departments of Immunology and Neuroscience in Research Biology.
"We consistently evaluate all facets of our operations to ensure ongoing improvement and sustained readiness to seize scientific opportunities, meet the evolving needs of patients, and anticipate the future demands of our expanding portfolio of new medicines," the spokesperson said in a statement.
Due to those changes, the Roche subsidiary said there will be a "limited number of employees" impacted, and that it is committed to providing support to those employees including outplacement assistance, career counseling, and other resources.
In conjunction with the reorganization, Genentech VP of Cancer Immunology Ira Mellman will step down from leadership of the unit and depart the company within the coming months.
Roche has faced some disappointments in its immuno-oncology development programs. It had to discontinue the Phase III SKYSCRAPER-06, the Phase III SKYSCRAPER-15, and the Phase II SKYSCRAPER-05 trials of its anti-TIGIT drug tiragolumab in PD-L1 positive indications after those studies failed to meet their primary endpoints.