Frequently Asked Questions

If you have questions regarding your Genentech medicine please contact the Genentech Patient Resource Center at 1 (877) GENENTECH (436-3683).

We understand that many of our patients and their families are facing personal and financial challenges due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Getting your prescribed medicines should not be one of them.

If you need help paying for your Genentech medicine or if your insurance or financial situation has changed due to the impact of COVID-19, we have existing support programs in place to help patients get the medicines they need. For example:

• Genentech Access Solutions - Explains health care benefits and insurance coverage to people taking Genentech medicines and connects them to appropriate assistance programs based on their situation and need.
• Genentech Patient Foundation - Provides free medicine to people without insurance coverage or who can’t pay for their Genentech medicines.
• Genentech Co-pay Services - Provides financial assistance to eligible commercially-insured patients to help them pay for their out-of-pocket costs associated with their Genentech medicine for an FDA-approved indication.

We are continuing to evolve our services to provide greater flexibility and enable continuity of care.

To learn more, please contact the Genentech Patient Resource Center at 1 (877) GENENTECH (436-3683) or visit this page to learn about our services.

Treatment decisions should be made between a patient and their healthcare provider based on a benefit/risk assessment specific to the individual patient. If you are currently receiving or starting treatment with a Genentech medicine, you should talk with your healthcare provider to determine if receiving a COVID-19 vaccine is right for you and when you should receive it.

We understand how difficult it may be to make treatment decisions at this time when there is limited information available on the safety and efficacy of COVID-19 vaccines in patients receiving a Genentech medicine. Patient safety is Genentech’s highest priority and we are closely monitoring the evolving situation to best understand how COVID-19 vaccines could impact patients treated with our therapies.

For additional medical questions related to your prescribed Genentech medicine, please contact Genentech Medicine Information at 1 (800) 821-8590 or visit https://www.gene.com/contact-us/submit-medical-inquiry.

The COVID-19 pandemic continues to evolve, Roche is working closely with governments and health authorities around the world to help ensure that reliable, high-quality diagnostic solutions are available globally. Since March of 2020, Roche has been granted Emergency Use Authorization in the United States by the Food and Drug Administration for a portfolio of lab and point-of-care tests to detect the virus' genetic signature or antibodies to identify an immune response, including: 

• March 2020 - the cobas® SARS-CoV-2 high-volume molecular test designed to detect the novel virus that causes COVID-19 disease. Hospitals and reference laboratories can run the test on Roche’s fully automated cobas® 6800 and cobas® 8800 Systems, which are widely available in the U.S. and around the world. Learn more here.
• May 2020 - the Elecsys® Anti-SARS-CoV-2 serology (blood) test designed to help determine if an individual has been exposed to the SARS-CoV-2 virus and if they have developed antibodies against SARS-CoV-2. Learn more here.
• June 2020 - the Elecsys® IL-6 test which measures levels of the biomarker interleukin 6 (IL-6) and can be used to help identify patients with confirmed COVID-19 disease who could be at high risk of intubation with mechanical ventilation. Learn more here.
• September 2020 - the cobas® SARS-CoV-2 & Influenza A/B test, for use on the cobas® 6800/8800 Systems, designed to detect and differentiate SARS-CoV-2, influenza A and/or influenza B in individuals suspected of respiratory infection. Learn more here.
• September 2020 - the cobas® SARS-CoV-2 & Influenza A/B multiplex test, for use on the cobas® Liat® system, designed to detect and differentiate SARS-CoV-2, influenza A and/or influenza B in individuals suspected of respiratory infection. Learn more here.
• December 2020 - the Elecsys® Anti-SARS-CoV-2 S serology (blood) antibody test designed to measure the level of antibodies in people who have been exposed to the SARS-CoV-2 virus. Learn more here.
  • Additionally, Roche has entered into a collaboration with Moderna to utilise the Elecsys® Anti-SARS-CoV-2 S antibody test in Moderna’s mRNA-1273 vaccine research trials. Learn more here.

Please note that these tests must be ordered by a medical professional and people should speak with their healthcare provider about diagnostic testing. For questions, please contact the Roche Diagnostics COVID-19 hotline at 866-987-6243 or visit this page.

We have not experienced supply issues for our portfolio of medicines related to the global COVID-19 pandemic. We are closely monitoring and responding to the evolving situation and have robust business continuity and mitigation strategies in place. We're working closely with health authorities; federal, state and local governments; and distribution partners to manage inventory levels equitably and best meet the needs of patients.

For customers with further questions, please contact Genentech Customer Service at 1-800-551-2231 or your Account Manager.

All of our manufacturing facilities comply with current Good Manufacturing Practice regulations, which include hygiene standards to safeguard against potential contamination or cross-contamination and mandatory requirements to report any issues.

In addition, we have robust pandemic protocols in place, we are monitoring the situation closely in real-time across our global manufacturing network, and we are confident that we are taking all appropriate steps to minimize infection risks.

Genentech takes the health and safety of our employees, their families and our local communities very seriously, and we are actively responding to the COVID-19 public health issue.

We have a COVID-19 Task Force dedicated to preparing for and protecting against the transmission of COVID-19 on our campuses and in the local community, while ensuring the critical work required to bring our medicines to those who need them continues. The measures we have in place include:

• Requiring those who are able to work from home to do so and restricting access to our campuses only to personnel needed to carry out essential biotech business continuity activities on site.
• Adhering to facial coverings, social distancing and additional cleanings throughout our campuses to help protect those who continue to work on site in service of our patients.
• Requiring Business Continuity Onsite Staff who regularly work on campus to complete a COVID-19 PCR virus test once per week.
• Utilizing our robust contact tracing process if a COVID-19 related exposure is reported.
• Offering limited onsite vaccine administration for a small cohort of eligible Business Continuity Onsite Staff in South San Francisco and select U.S. sites.
• Encouraging virtual rather than in-person interactions across the country to continue to meet the needs of our customers and their patients.
• Restricting all global and domestic company air travel only to trips that support business continuity.
• Cancelling/postponing all in-person Genentech meetings and events.
• Suspending visitor access to our campuses and conducting virtual meetings.
• Engaging our on-site medical teams, who are trained and ready to respond 24/7. 
• Working closely with appropriate health authorities and fully complying with all Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and applicable local government regulations and protocols.

We are aware of individuals who have been on our campuses and subsequently tested positive for COVID-19. Per our protocol, anyone identified to have had close contact with diagnosed individuals has been notified and advised to self-isolate for a 14-day period.

We are confident that appropriate measures have and are being taken to support the persons affected and to minimize the risk to others.

In 2020, Genentech and the Genentech Foundation committed $42 million to help address the devastating impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. This support included emergency response grants as well as funds for longer-term recovery efforts, with an emphasis on low-income households and communities of color. Learn more about our approach to giving to help address critical health needs, strengthen schools and provide community grassroots support.

As part of this $42 million commitment, the Genentech Foundation awarded more than $4.3 million to community colleges and universities to address the needs of low-income and BIPOC students, and help prevent deeper learning gaps for this already vulnerable student population.

In addition, Genentech and The Genentech Foundation funded a $3.2 million initiative with the Hasso Plattner Institute of Design (the d. School) at Stanford University to encourage and support bold thinking and new solutions for K-12 learning challenges. The Reach for the Upside initiative invites public school districts and their community partners to workshop and implement tangible solutions to address challenges exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Our employees also gave generously through a number of enhanced matching initiatives, including campaigns focused on racial justice and health equity. Over the course of 2020, Genentech employees donated more than $4.8 million to more than 1,500 nonprofit organizations nationwide, much of which was focused on COVID-19 needs.

We recognize that the pandemic is ongoing, and even as we hope for recovery amidst vaccine availability in 2021, the impacts will be long lasting for communities, students and health systems. This is not a one-and-done challenge, and we have embedded awareness of COVID-related challenges and needs into all of our grantmaking. We will continue to learn from our conversations with grantees and stakeholders and seek new ways of driving both immediate relief and longer term transformational change with all of our funding choices.

Please visit funding.gene.com for questions about new or existing grants.