Genentech has put its own history under the spotlight with the release of 'The Impossible Bet,' a new documentary that digs into the company’s fifty-year run in biotechnology. The film, now available online, goes beyond a simple company timeline. It threads together the stories of patients whose lives changed because of Genentech’s research and drugs.
The public premiere took place on October 5, 2026, in New York City. Genentech worked with T Brand Studio and Brother Films to produce the documentary. The rollout covers digital platforms run by T Brand, Genentech’s website, social media, and a public screening at KQED’s San Francisco headquarters on October 15. Details of the campaign appear in The New York Times Advertising feature. The film doesn’t just tick off scientific milestones. It shows how Genentech’s work has landed in the real world, affecting patients and communities.
Herceptin was first approved by the FDA in 1998 for the treatment of HER2-positive metastatic breast cancer, targeting the HER2 protein that is overproduced in this cancer subtype.
Genentech’s CEO, Ashley Magargee, points out that the Bay Area was once a blank slate for biotech. That changed in 1976, when Genentech—short for 'genetic engineering technology'—opened its doors and set off a wave that would change medicine. The documentary, made with T Brand, the New York Times’ ad studio, follows Genentech’s path from its early work on human insulin (now Eli Lilly’s Humulin) to the launch of Herceptin for HER2-positive breast cancer, and now to its push into obesity drugs.
Patient voices and legacy leadership
Herb Boyer, Genentech’s co-founder, appears in the film only through old footage. His daughter Max, who lives with multiple sclerosis, shares her story. Genentech developed a therapy that slows the disease’s progression. Tracy Furey, who leads corporate communications, says Boyer is still “very vibrant” at 90 and remembers him dancing at the company’s disco-themed anniversary party earlier this year.
Patient stories drive the film’s narrative. Genentech is aiming for a wider audience by putting these voices front and center. Fierce Pharma reports that Donna’s story stands out. She received Herceptin before the FDA approved it in 1998, thanks to a compassionate use program. Breast cancer patient groups pushed for wider access, staging protests and advocacy efforts. Genentech responded by expanding access to the experimental drug.
In October 2026, Genentech secured global rights to develop HM17321 from Hanmi Pharmaceutical, a non-incretin obesity drug candidate that acts via the urotensin-2 analog and CRF2 receptor. The deal includes a $190 million upfront payment and up to $2.3 billion in total milestones, with Hanmi leading phase 1 trials until March 2027 before Genentech takes over for phase 2.
Strategic branding and public engagement
Genentech’s documentary launch lines up with a Times Square campaign. T Brand is backing the push with a full-page ad in The New York Times, digital spots on nytimes.com, and social media outreach. Omnicom’s BBDO agency is handling the creative work. Genentech is also taking its story on the road with a traveling museum, which recently stopped in Washington DC for an event with policymakers and elected officials, run with Axios.
The company’s shift from scientific pioneer to a brand that speaks directly to the public matches a wider trend in biotech. Other industry moves are tracked in MM&M coverage. Genentech’s claim as “the original biotech company” is more than a slogan. Since Roche bought Genentech for $47 billion in 2009, the company has kept shaping the field, both in the lab and in the market.
Genentech’s fiftieth anniversary is more than a company party. It’s a public statement about how biotech can change lives, built on decades of patient impact and steady innovation. By putting patient stories at the heart of its message and ramping up high-profile campaigns, Genentech is betting that the next chapter in biotech will be about connecting breakthroughs to the people who need them. Other established players will have to keep up as the lines between science, business, and public outreach keep shifting.
