Roche defends sponsorship of new cancer charity

Roche has defended claims that a new cancer charity that is wholly funded by the company is in fact an unscrupulous marketing tactic.

Cancer United was launched in Brussels yesterday and it aims to promote equal access to the best cancer care throughout Europe. However, the fact that all of its funding came from Roche has been the subject of strong criticism.

Dr Ian Gibson, the Labour MP for Norwich North, lent his support to the charity but has now said he was “conned” as he did not know there was one company behind it. He told Channel 4 News that Roche should be “severely reprimanded” for trying to manipulate a charitable agenda.

However, Catherine Steel, international head of public policy at Roche, defended the formation of the charity, claiming that it was driven purely by ethics and not profits.

She told BBC Radio Five Live’s Wake Up To Money programme: “Cancer United is about improving cancer care for patients in Europe, and cancer care is really about much more than drugs.”

Ms Steel added that Roche’s executive board was “open” to approaches from other parties wishing to help the charity and would decide how best to proceed.

Roche has an extensive portfolio of cancer drugs, including Herceptin, Avastin and Xeloda.