Investor Update
Basel, August 2, 2005
Launch
of key cardiac marker NT-proBNP on the cardiac reader, Roche’s Point of Care analyzer
New
Cardiac proBNP test supports faster diagnosis and treatment decisions in chronic and acute heart failure
patients - in situations when every minute counts
Today, Roche Diagnostics
announced the launch outside the USA of its Roche Cardiac proBNP test,
a cardiac test
for heart failure diagnosis and disease management providing physicians with quick results on the spot.
It supports rapid treatment decisions, especially important in life threatening situations when every
minute counts.
The established cardiac marker NT-proBNP, which is from
now on available on Roche Diagnostics’ Cardiac reader system, helps to diagnose and assess patients
with suspected congestive heart failure directly at the Point of Care. This test supports the detection
of mild or early forms of heart failure as it enables the early identification of high risk patients
- even in a physician’s office. It also facilitates quick treatment decisions in acute situations, such
as patients with severe shortness of breath in the emergency room, by providing diagnostic information
directly on the spot.
"I am proud that we are able to offer a quick
and
easy to use Point of Care test for heart failure diagnosis that enables healthcare professionals in
hospitals, as well as in the general practitioner setting, access to fast diagnostic results. Patients
will profit from faster diagnosis and treatment decisions based on the health information provided",
states Dr. Giuseppe Minola, Head of Roche Near Patient Testing, a business area of Roche Diagnostics.
The
Roche Cardiac proBNP gives results within just 12 minutes and shows high correlation to the Elecsys
proBNP assay, Roche Diagnostics´ Central Lab solution, which is crucial for Point of Care assays.
Roche
Diagnostics is currently the only company to offer both high through-put NT-proBNP testing through the
central lab as well as in the Point of Care settings.
About
Heart Failure
According to the American Heart Association, 4.9 million Americans
are afflicted with chronic heart failure (CHF), with 550,000 cases diagnosed each year. There are a
number of causes for the disease: the most important are coronary artery disease, myocardial infarction
and high blood pressure. Heart failure is the leading cause of Medicare hospitalization in the US, accounting
for 27,9 billion dollars per year in direct and indirect costs.
Prevalence
of heart failure is expected to continue to rise, due to the aging population and increase in survival
after myocardial infarction. Heart failure is often difficult to diagnose, since its symptoms are nonspecific
and sometimes easy to confuse with those of other conditions such as pulmonary diseases. Echocardiography,
the currently used standard for diagnosis of left ventricular dysfunction, is expensive and not always
easily accessible. The Roche Cardiac proBNP test serves as a complementary, quick and user independent
tool for the physician. For more information on the clinical utility of the NT-proBNP marker please
visit:
http://www.roche-diagnostics.com/media/pdf/presskit/background_heart_failure2.pdf
About
the Cardiac reader system
The Cardiac reader analyzer allows the quantitative determination
of the cardiac markers Troponin T, Myoglobin, D-Dimer, and now NT-proBNP, from a single whole blood
sample. Quantitative results are available within minutes, making it easier to initiate the appropriate
treatment. This means fast Point of Care diagnosis for patients with acute coronary syndrome, venous
thromboembolism or heart-failure.
About Roche and the Roche
Diagnostics Division
Headquartered in Basel, Switzerland, Roche is one of the
world’s leading research-focused healthcare groups in the fields of pharmaceuticals and diagnostics.
As a supplier of innovative products and services for the early detection, prevention, diagnosis and
treatment of disease, the Group contributes on a broad range of fronts to improving people’s health
and quality of life. Roche is a world leader in diagnostics, the leading supplier of medicines for cancer
and transplantation and a market leader in virology. In 2004 sales by the Pharmaceuticals Division totalled
21.7 billion Swiss francs, while the Diagnostics Division posted sales of 7.8 billion Swiss francs.
Roche employs roughly 65,000 people in 150 countries and has R&D agreements and strategic alliances
with numerous partners, including majority ownership interests in Genentech and Chugai.
Roche’s
Diagnostics Division offers a uniquely broad product portfolio and supplies a wide array of innovative
testing products and services to researchers, physicians, patients, hospitals and laboratories world-wide.
For further information, please visit our websites www.roche.com and www.roche-diagnostics.com
Roche
Cardiac and Elecsys are trademarks of Roche.