The challenge of biotech became today’s cornerstone

J.C. Froidevaux appointed as Representative Director and President

Launched Alfarol®, an active vitamin D3 derivative (Jan.)

Launched Madopar®, an anti-Parkinsonism agent (Feb.)

Started research and development of treatment for rheumatoid arthritis

Opened New York office (Oct.)

Purchased equity of a US venture, Genetics Institute Inc. (Oct.)

Start of the collaborative research on IL-6 inhibitors (now Actemra®) with Osaka University

Launched Rocephin®, a cephem antibiotic agent (Aug.)

Opened London office (Mar.)

Hajime Sano appointed as Representative Director and President (Mar.)

Constructed the Fuji-Gotemba Research Laboratory (Shizuoka Prefecture) (Jun.)

Established Diagnostics Headquarters (Mar.)

Acquired Gen-Probe Incorporated (United States) (Dec.)

R.A. Meyer appointed as Representative Director and President

Constructed the Utsunomiya Plant (Tochigi Prefecture) (Oct.)

Established C&C Research Laboratories in Korea (Jan.)

Osamu Nagayama appointed as Representative Director and President (Sep.)

Hiroaki Shigeta appointed as Representative Director and President

Chugai announced “the vision of 21st century”

Converted the London office (opened March 1986) into Chugai Pharma Europe Ltd., an overseas subsidiary (United Kingdom) (Jan.)

Established Chugai Diagnostics Science Co., Ltd. (Tokyo) (Mar.)

Established Chugai Pharma Marketing Ltd. (United Kingdom, now Chugai Pharma Europe Ltd.) (Dec.)

Established Roche Vitamin Japan K.K. (Feb.)

Spun-off the Diagnostics Headquarters as Roche Diagnostics K.K. (Aug.)

Launched CellCept® an immunosuppressant agent (Nov.)