Updated February 24, 2022
See our responses to frequently asked questions related to COVID-19 below. If you don’t find the answer to your question here, please contact one of our support resources.
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:
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.
Genentech currently does not make vaccines, however, we are contributing in the fight against COVID-19 in other ways: our scientific knowledge and research expertise in infectious diseases and in antibody-based therapeutics as well as our skilled workforce and specialized manufacturing capabilities.
On June 24, 2021, Genentech announced that the U.S. FDA issued an Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) for intravenous Actemra® (tocilizumab) for the treatment of COVID-19 in hospitalized adults and pediatric patients (2 years of age and older) who are receiving systemic corticosteroids and require supplemental oxygen, non-invasive or invasive mechanical ventilation, or extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO). Actemra is not FDA-approved for this use. The EUA for Actemra is in effect for the duration of the COVID-19 declaration justifying emergency use of this product, unless terminated or revoked (after which the products may no longer be used under the EUA). View the Genentech press release here.
The FDA Letter of Authorization and Fact Sheets for patients and health care professionals are available for download with the latest information on this EUA. Additional information for health care professionals can be found here: https://www.actemrahcp.com/covid-19.html.
In August 2020, Roche and Genentech announced a collaboration with Regeneron to develop, manufacture and distribute Regeneron’s COVID-19 antibody cocktail REGN-COV®(casirivimab and imdevimab) to people around the globe. In November 2020, REGN-COV was granted Emergency Use Authorization by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for the treatment of mild-to-moderate COVID-19 in adults and pediatric patients (-12 years of age or older), who have received positive results of direct SARS-CoV-2 viral testing and are at high risk for progressing to severe COVID-19 and/or hospitalization.
If you are a healthcare provider and have questions about this clinical trial, please contact our clinical trial number at 888-662-6728.
Roche Diagnostics has been granted Emergency Use Authorization by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for a portfolio of lab, point-of-care, and at-home rapid antigen tests to detect the virus' genetic signature or antibodies to identify an immune response.
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 continue to receive replenishments of Actemra® (tocilizumab) and are closely monitoring the supply situation. At this time, availability of Actemra SC and IV continues to vary over time.
The dynamic nature of the pandemic, and factors such as potential variants and seasonal changes, has made supply planning complex and challenging to predict. Despite these challenges, we remain fully committed to returning to consistent, uninterrupted patient access to Actemra.
We recognize the urgency around the situation and understand the frustration that patients, their families and healthcare providers are experiencing due to these supply constraints. Learn more here.
We continue to receive replenishments of Actemra and are closely monitoring the supply situation. At this time, availability of Actemra SC and IV continues to vary over time.
In 2020, we ramped up our own manufacturing including through active collaboration with external partners to transfer our technologies and increase production. We are doing our best to meet Actemra patient needs and are continuously supplying Actemra through our distributors.
We recognize the urgency around the situation and understand the frustration that patients, their families and healthcare providers are experiencing due to these supply constraints. Learn more here.
Genentech distributes Actemra in the U.S. through an approved network of authorized distributors. All cartons, pre-filled syringes and vials approved for use in the U.S. have "GENENTECH," "Genentech, Inc." or "Genentech, Inc., a Member of the Roche Group" printed on the labels and cartons.
For the most up-to-date information on product availability for Actemra IV and/or SC formulations, hospitals and practices should contact their authorized distributors. Learn more here.
We have not experienced supply issues for any other medicines in our portfolio 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:
Genentech is requiring COVID-19 vaccination and boosters for our workforce with limited exceptions, including for medical and religious reasons.
Our decision is grounded in science and driven by the imperative to protect our people and sustain our research, development and manufacturing of essential medicines for patients facing serious and life-threatening diseases, including COVID-19. We believe we must do everything we can to guard against the spread of the virus at our sites. This is in the best public health interest of everyone on our campuses, the communities in which we live and work, and the patients we serve.
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.
Please visit funding.gene.com for questions about new or existing grants.