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Investor Update

Basel, 2 November 2007

Significant new data on Roche’s PEGASYS and Hepatitis C Pipeline compounds to be featured at 58th Annual AASLD Meeting

Roche today announced that new study results for PEGASYS (peginterferon alfa-2a), the world’s leading treatment for chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection, as well as the company’s robust pipeline of hepatitis C compounds in clinical development, will be presented at the upcoming 58th Annual Meeting of the American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases (AASLD), also known as The Liver Meeting, in Boston, November 2-6, 2007.

The presentations will include final efficacy and safety results from REPEAT, a major study examining retreatment with PEGASYS/COPEGUS (ribavirin) in patients whose infection did not respond to prior treatment with Peg-Intron (peginterferon alfa-2b) and ribavirin.  Additionally, the first efficacy and safety results from a Phase IIa study with the polymerase inhibitor R1626, as well as new data on the polymerase inhibitor R7128 (being developed in partnership with Pharmasset), and the protease inhibitor R7227/ITMN-191 (being developed with InterMune), will be presented.

“As the premier meeting in the science and practice of hepatology, The Liver Meeting provides Roche with an important opportunity to demonstrate our commitment to advancing the diagnosis and treatment of this devastating disease,” said Nick Cammack, Ph.D., Virology Disease Biology Area Leader, Roche. “In addition to ongoing research with PEGASYS, reinforcing its status as the leading HCV therapy, Roche is dedicated to developing new molecules that could help more patients achieve treatment success.”

PEGASYS Highlights

  • “Pegylated interferon alfa-2a plus ribavirin (RBV) in prior non-responders to pegylated interferon alfa-2b/RBV: final efficacy and safety outcomes of the REPEAT study,” D. M. Jensen et al., Monday, November 5, 3:45 p.m. - 4:00 p.m. ET (Oral Presentation No. LB4).
  • “Rapid and early virological response rates are increased with 12 week 360 µg/wk peginterferon alfa-2a and standard ribavirin in HCV genotype 1 treatment naive patients: efficacy and safety analysis of the induction phase of the CHARIOT study,” S. Roberts et al., Sunday, November 4, 6:00 p.m. - 6:15 p.m. ET (Oral Presentation No. 54).
  • “Prolonged Antiviral Therapy With Peginterferon to Prevent Complications of Advanced Liver Disease Associated With Hepatitis C: Results of the Hepatitis C Antiviral Long-term Treatment against Cirrhosis (HALT-C) Trial,” A. M. Di Bisceglie et al., Monday, November 5, 3:00 p.m. - 3:15 p.m. ET (Oral Presentation No. LB1).
  • “Association of Pre-Treatment and On-Treatment Factors with Rapid Virologic Response in HCV Genotype 1 Infected Patients Treated with PegIFN-2a/RBV,” M. Rodriguez-Torres et al., Tuesday, November 6, 8:00 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. ET (Poster No. 1305).
  • “Prophylactic Peginterferon Alfa-2a/Ribavirin vs. No Prophylaxis Following Orthotopic Liver Transplantation (OLT) for Hepatitis C: 24-Week Virologic and Safety Responses,” M. R. Charlton, et al., Sunday, Nov. 4, 3:00 p.m. – 3:15 p.m. ET (Oral Presentation No. 25).

Pipeline Highlights

  • “Robust Synergistic Antiviral Effect of R1626 in Combination with Peginterferon alfa-2a (40KD), with or without Ribavirin – Interim Analysis Results of Phase 2a Study,” P. J. Pockros, et al., Tuesday, November 6, 2007, 9:00 a.m. - 9:15 a.m. ET (Oral Presentation No. 167).
  • “A high barrier to resistance may contribute to the robust antiviral effect demonstrated by R1626 in HCV genotype 1-infected treatment-naive patients,” S. Le Pogam et al., Tuesday, November 6, 2007, 8:00 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. ET (Poster No. 1298).
  • “Antiviral Activity, Pharmacokinetics, Safety, and Tolerability of R7128, a Novel Nucleoside HCV RNA Polymerase Inhibitor, Following Multiple, Ascending, Oral Doses in Patients with HCV Genotype 1 Infection Who have Failed Prior Interferon Therapy,” R. Reddy et al., Tuesday, November 6, 2007, 8:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. ET (Poster No. LB9).
  • “Genotype Coverage of the HCV NS3/4A Protease Inhibitor ITMN-191 (R7227): Biochemical Data Reveals Potent Inhibition and Slow Dissociation with Genotype 1-6 Proteases,” P. Rajagopalan et al., Tuesday, November 6, 2007, 8:00 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. ET (Poster No. 1386).

About PEGASYS
PEGASYS, in combination with COPEGUS (ribavirin), are indicated for the treatment of adults with chronic hepatitis C who have compensated liver disease and have not previously been treated with interferon alpha.  Efficacy has been demonstrated in patients with compensated liver disease and histological evidence of cirrhosis (Child-Pugh class A) and patients with HIV disease that are clinically stable (e.g., antiretroviral therapy not required or receiving stable antiretroviral therapy). In addition, PEGASYS in combination with COPEGUS is the first and only FDA-approved regimen for the treatment of chronic hepatitis C in patients coinfected with
hepatitis C and HIV. PEGASYS is the only pegylated interferon indicated for the treatment of adult patients with chronic hepatitis B (HBeAg positive and HBeAg negative chronic hepatitis B who have compensated liver disease and evidence of viral replication and liver inflammation).
PEGASYS is dosed at 180mcg as a subcutaneous injection taken once a week. COPEGUS is available as a 200mg tablet, and is administered orally two times a day as a split dose. Roche has backed PEGASYS with the most extensive clinical research program ever undertaken in hepatitis C, with major studies initiated to advance treatment for hepatitis C patients with unmet needs, including patients co-infected with HIV and HCV, African Americans, patients with cirrhosis, and patients who have failed to respond to previous therapy.

About Roche
Headquartered in Basel, Switzerland, Roche is one of the world’s leading research-focused healthcare groups in the fields of pharmaceuticals and diagnostics. As the world’s biggest biotech company and an innovator of products and services for the early detection, prevention, diagnosis and treatment of diseases, the Group contributes on a broad range of fronts to improving people’s health and quality of life. Roche is the world leader in in-vitro diagnostics and drugs for cancer and transplantation, a market leader in virology and active in other major therapeutic areas such as autoimmune diseases, inflammation, metabolic disorders and diseases of the central nervous system. In 2006 sales by the Pharmaceuticals Division totalled 33.3 billion Swiss francs, and the Diagnostics Division posted sales of 8.7 billion Swiss francs. Roche has R&D agreements and strategic alliances with numerous partners, including majority ownership interests in Genentech and Chugai, and invests approximately 7 billion Swiss francs a year in R&D. Worldwide, the Group employs about 75,000 people. Additional information is available on the Internet at www.roche.com.

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