Roche or Hoffman-La Roche Inc is based in Nutley, New Jersey. Roche is the United States prescription drug unit of the Roche Group, and is one of the world’s leading research-oriented health care groups with core businesses in pharmaceuticals and diagnostics. The company provides innovative products and services that address prevention, diagnosis and treatment of diseases.  Roche was built on the concept of enhancing people's health and quality of life.

Roche came into being in the 19th century, when major advances in the science of medicine evolved along with dramatic developments in industrial technology. It was during this time that many new pharmaceutical companies came into being. The medical profession was growing rapidly, converging trends offered unprecedented opportunities for those interested in the medical field. This field was just beginning to become known as a science and receive validation from the community at large.

F. Hoffmann-La Roche & Company was formed in 1896 in Basel, Switzerland by Fritz Hoffman. The company was named for himself and his wife, Adele La Roche. He was then twenty-eight years old, and had a goal for his new company. Hoffman wanted to develop and manufacture novel drugs of uniform strength and quality and market them around the world. Although many people scoffed at Hoffman he continued on his quest. He achieved his goal and more, in 2005 Roche was named one of Fortune magazine’s Best Companies to Work for in America, one of the Top 20 Employers in Science magazine, ranked as the No. 3 Best Company to work for.

Roche has been a leader in biomedical research since the birth of the pharmaceutical industry and research is conducted in the following therapeutic areas: dermatology; genitourinary disease; infectious diseases, including influenza; inflammation, including arthritis; metabolic diseases, including obesity and diabetes; oncology; osteoporosis; transplantation; vascular diseases; and virology, including HIV/AIDS and hepatitis C.

Xenical is a good example of what Roche is all about which is a prescription medication that helps in weight loss. The Xenical program doesn't involve a complicated diet, one of the added incentives to using Xenical. This reduced-calorie diet for use with Xenical comprises no more than 30 percent calories from fat and is the same one recommended by the American Heart Association. Medicines such as this and others do indeed work to enhance quality of life.