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{\pard\sa900\fs50\f0\i Media Release\par}
{\pard\f0\li0\ri0\sa360\sl360\fs22 Basel, 14 January 2005\line \line {\b Innovative 
Roche cancer medicine Avastin approved in EU} \line \line First treatment of 
its kind with proven survival benefit for patients with advanced colorectal cancer\line \line Roche 
today announced that the European Commission has approved Avastin (bevacizumab, rhuMAb-VEGF), the new 
innovative anti-angiogenesis drug for the treatment of patients with previously untreated metastatic 
colorectal cancer. Roche will now make Avastin available across Europe within the next few weeks and 
expects it to be accessible to physicians and patients early in the year. \line \line Avastin 
is now approved for the first-line treatment of patients with metastatic carcinoma of the colon or rectum 
in combination with the chemotherapy regimens of intravenous 5-fluorouracil/folinic acid or intravenous 
5-fluorouracil/folinic acid/irinotecan. \line \line \u8220?Today\u8217?s full marketing approval 
represents a significant milestone for clinicians and patients across Europe engaged in the fight against 
cancer,\u8221? said William M. Burns, CEO of Roche\u8217?s Pharmaceuticals Division. \u8220?We will now work to ensure 
that this breakthrough treatment is widely available throughout Europe as quickly as possible.\u8221?\line \line \u8220?Avastin 
represents the culmination of decades of research looking into the process of angiogenesis,\u8221? said Professor 
Eric Van Cutsem, University Hospital Gasthuisberg, Leuven, Belgium. \u8220?It is the first drug that works 
by choking off the blood supply that feeds tumours. Throughout several well designed clinical trials 
we have seen a meaningful increase in life expectancy when Avastin is combined with different chemotherapy 
regimens used in the treatment of advanced colorectal cancer.\u8221? \line \line The European 
Commission\u8217?s approval was based on data from a landmark Phase III study published in {\i The 
New England Journal of Medicine}  in June 2004 that showed patients treated with Avastin plus chemotherapy 
lived significantly longer than patients receiving chemotherapy alone, on average by nearly five months 
(20.3 months versus 15.6 months){\super {\pard\f0\li0\ri0\sa360\sl360\fs18 1\par}} . Also, 
the addition of Avastin increased the amount of time that patients were without disease progression, 
on average four months, compared to patients receiving chemotherapy alone (10.6 months versus 6.2 months).\line \line In 
2000, colorectal cancer was the third most commonly reported cancer with 945,000 new cases worldwide.{\super {\pard\f0\li0\ri0\sa360\sl360\fs18 2\par}}  
It is estimated that over 50% of people diagnosed with colorectal cancer will die of the disease. In 
the European Union colorectal cancer is the second most common cause of death from any cancer in men.{\super {\pard\f0\li0\ri0\sa360\sl360\fs18 3\par}} \line  
\line Roche and Genentech are pursuing a comprehensive clinical programme investigating the 
use of Avastin in advanced colorectal cancer with other chemotherapies and also expanding into the adjuvant 
setting (post operation). As Avastin\u8217?s mechanism may be relevant in a number of malignant tumours, Roche 
and Genentech are also investigating the potential clinical benefit of Avastin in other cancers, including 
non-small cell lung cancer, pancreatic cancer, breast cancer and renal cell carcinoma. Approximately 
15,000 patients are expected to be enrolled into clinical trials over the next years worldwide.\line \line {\b About 
Avastin} \line Avastin is the first treatment that inhibits angiogenesis \u8211? the growth 
of a network of blood vessels that supply nutrients and oxygen to cancerous tissues. Avastin targets 
a naturally occurring protein called VEGF (Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor), a key mediator of angiogenesis, 
thus choking off the blood supply that is essential for the growth of the tumour and its spread throughout 
the body (metastasis).\line \line Avastin was approved in February 2004 in the US 
and has recently received full approval in Switzerland and Israel.\line \line {\b Roche 
in Oncology } \line Within the last five years the Roche Group, including its members 
Genentech in the United States and Chugai in Japan, has become the world\u8217?s leading provider of anti-cancer 
treatments, supportive care products and diagnostics. Its oncology business includes an unprecedented 
five products with survival benefit in different major tumour indications: Xeloda and Herceptin in advanced 
stage breast cancer, MabThera in non-Hodgkin\u8217?s lymphoma, Avastin in colorectal carcinoma and Tarceva 
in non-small cell lung cancer and pancreatic carcinoma.\line \line In the United 
States Herceptin, MabThera, Avastin and Tarceva are marketed either by Genentech alone or together with 
its partners Biogen Idec Inc. (MabThera) and OSI (Tarceva). Outside of the United States, Roche and 
its Japanese partner Chugai are responsible for the marketing of these medicines.\line \line The 
Roche oncology portfolio also includes NeoRecormon (anaemia in various cancer settings), Bondronat (prevention 
of skeletal events in breast cancer and bone metastases patients, hypercalcaemia of malignancy), Kytril 
(chemotherapy and radiotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting) and Roferon-A (hairy cell and chronic myeloid 
leukaemia, Kaposi's sarcoma, malignant melanoma, renal cell carcinoma). CERA is the most recent demonstration 
of Roche\u8217?s commitment to anaemia management. The Roche Group\u8217?s cancer medicines generated sales of more 
than 5.6 billion Swiss francs in the first nine months of 2004.\line \line In addition 
to the medicines, Roche is developing new diagnostic tests that will have a significant impact on disease 
management for cancer patients in the future. With a broad portfolio of tumour markers for prostate, 
colorectal, liver, ovarian, breast, stomach, pancreas and lung cancer, as well as a range of molecular 
oncology tests, Roche will continue to be the leader in providing cancer-focused treatments and diagnostics. 
\line \line Roche has four oncology research sites (two in the United States and 
one each in Germany and Japan) and five oncology development sites (two in the United States and one 
each in UK, Australia and Switzerland).\line \line {\b About Roche} \line Headquartered 
in Basel, Switzerland, Roche is one of the world\u8217?s leading research-intensive healthcare groups. Its 
core businesses are pharmaceuticals and diagnostics. As a supplier of innovative products and services 
for the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of disease, the Group contributes on a broad range of fronts 
to improving people\u8217?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 2003, the Pharmaceuticals 
Division generated 19.8 billion Swiss francs in prescription drug sales, while the Diagnostics Division 
posted sales of 7.4 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.\line \line {\pard\f0\li0\ri0\sa360\sl360\fs18 References:\line 1. 
Hurwitz, H, Fehrenbacher, L, Novotny, W, et al. Bevacizumab plus Irinotecan, Fluorouracil, and Leucovorin 
for Metastatic Colorectal Cancer. New England Journal of Medicine 2004; 350(23): 2335\u8211?2342 \line 2. 
Ferlay, J, Bray,F, Pisani, P, and Parkin, D.M. GLOBOCAN 2000: Cancer Incidence, Mortality and Prevalence 
Worldwide, Version 1.0. IARC CancerBase No. 5. Lyon, IARCPress, 2001\line 3. Boyle, P, Langman, 
JS. ABC of colorectal cancer. Epidemiology. BMJ 2000; 321: 805-808\line \line All 
trademarks used or mentioned in this release are legally protected.\par}\line \line {\b Further 
information} :\line - Genentech (http://www.gene.com): www.gene.com\line - Cancer (http://www.health-kiosk.ch/start_krebs): 
www.health-kiosk.ch\par}
{\pard \par}
{\pard\sb180\f1\fs22 {\b F. Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd}\line 4070 Basel\line Switzerland \par}
{\pard\sb180\f1\fs22 Corporate Communications\line Roche Group Media Relations \par}
{\pard\sb180\f1\fs22 Tel. +41 61 688 88 88\line Fax +41 61 688 27 75\line www.roche.com \par}
}