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{\pard\sa900\fs50\f0\i Media Release\par}
{\pard\f0\li0\ri0\sa360\sl360\fs22 Basel, 15 April 2005\line \line {\b Avastin 
produces significant benefit in first-line metastatic breast cancer} \line \line Interim 
analysis shows improved progression-free \u160?survival with Avastin for patients with previously untreated 
metastatic breast cancer \u8211? the third cancer to show benefit with Avastin\line \line Roche 
and Genentech, Inc., announced today that Avastin (bevacizumab, rhuMAb-VEGF) in combination with chemotherapy, 
significantly improves progression-free survival in patients with previously untreated, metastatic breast 
cancer. This is in addition to the positive survival benefit with Avastin observed in advanced colorectal 
cancer and the recently announced data in locally advanced or metastatic non-small cell lung cancer. 
\line \line Eight to nine percent of women will develop breast cancer during their 
lifetime, making it one of the most common types of cancer in women. Each year more than one million 
new cases of breast cancer are diagnosed worldwide, with a death rate of approximately 410,000 people 
per year.{\super {\pard\f0\li0\ri0\sa360\sl360\fs18 1\par}}  \line \line \u8220?The 
results of this study are outstanding as it is the third cancer where Avastin, in combination with chemotherapy, 
has shown significant clinical benefit,\u8221? said William M. Burns, CEO of Roche\u8217?s Pharmaceutical Division. 
\u8220?This study underlines the importance of targeting angiogenesis in the therapy of patients with cancer 
to significantly improve treatment outcome. We plan to share these data with the regulatory authorities 
in order to explore with them how Avastin can be made available to patients with metastatic breast cancer.\u8221?\line \line Avastin, 
an anti-angiogenesis drug, works by choking off the blood supply that is essential for the growth of 
the tumour and its spread throughout the body. The phase III study investigated the use of Avastin in 
combination with paclitaxel chemotherapy in patients who had not received any previous treatment for 
their metastatic disease (first-line). \u160?The companies were advised by the trial group conducting 
the study, that an interim analysis of the study showed that it met its primary efficacy endpoint of 
improving progression-free survival, the length of time the cancer is stable, compared to chemotherapy 
alone. \line \line {\b About the study} \line This is the 
first phase III study to evaluate Avastin in combination with chemotherapy for the first-line treatment 
of metastatic breast cancer. This randomised, controlled, multi-centre study enrolled 722 women with 
previously untreated metastatic breast cancer. \u160?The study was sponsored by the National Cancer 
Institute (NCI), part of the National Institutes of Health, and conducted by a network of researchers 
led by the Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG). \u160?The patients were randomised to receive 
treatment with paclitaxel with or without Avastin. \u160?Patients with HER2-positive metastatic breast 
cancer were not enrolled in the study unless they had received prior treatment with Herceptin (trastuzumab) 
or were unable to receive treatment with Herceptin. \u160?Patients who had received adjuvant paclitaxel 
within the previous 12 months and patients with a prior history of blood clots or who were receiving 
blood thinners were also excluded from the study. According to ECOG, data from this study will be submitted 
to an upcoming medical meeting.\line \line Preliminary analysis of the data shows 
that adverse events in this study were similar to those observed in previous clinical trials with Avastin 
in combination with chemotherapy in metastatic breast cancer.\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 In Europe, Avastin is approved for 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. 
Avastin received fast-track approval by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and was launched in 
the US in February 2004.*\line \line In the pivotal Phase III study, the addition 
of Avastin to chemotherapy (irinotecan/5-fluorouracil/leucovorin) significantly extended survival by, 
on average, five months (20.3 months versus 15.6 months) for people with previously untreated metastatic 
colorectal cancer. Avastin also significantly increased the amount of time the cancer was not growing 
compared with patients receiving chemotherapy alone (10.6 months vs. 6.2 months).{\super {\pard\f0\li0\ri0\sa360\sl360\fs18 2\par}}  
\u160?In a second Phase III study, conducted by the Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG), Avastin 
was also shown to significantly improve survival when added to another widely prescribed chemotherapy 
regimen (oxaliplatin/5-fluorouracil/leucovorin). With Avastin, people who had previously failed one 
chemotherapy regimen for their advanced disease, lived nearly two months longer, on average, compared 
to those who received chemotherapy alone (12.5 months vs. 10.7 months).{\super {\pard\f0\li0\ri0\sa360\sl360\fs18 3\par}} \line \line People 
with very advanced colorectal cancer who are too unwell to tolerate traditional aggressive chemotherapy 
also benefit from Avastin. The addition of Avastin to a less aggressive form of chemotherapy increased 
the length of time the cancer was not growing, by four months, compared to chemotherapy alone (a 67 
percent increase in progression-free survival).{\super {\pard\f0\li0\ri0\sa360\sl360\fs18 4\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 its mechanism may be relevant in a number of malignant 
tumours, Roche and Genentech are also investigating the potential clinical benefit of Avastin in pancreatic 
cancer, ovarian cancer, renal cell carcinoma and others. Approximately 15,000 patients are expected 
to be enrolled into clinical trials over the next years worldwide.\line \line {\b About 
Roche} \line Headquartered in Basel, Switzerland, Roche is one of the world\u8217?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\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 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. Additional information about the Roche 
Group is available on the Internet (www.roche.com (http://www.roche.com)).\line \line {\pard\f0\li0\ri0\sa360\sl360\fs18 All 
trademarks used or mentioned in this release are legally protected.\par}\line {\b \line Further 
information:} \line - Genentech (http://www.gene.com): www.gene.com\line - Cancer (http://www.health-kiosk.ch/start_krebs): 
www.health-kiosk.ch\line - Roche in Oncology (http://www.roche.com/mboncology-e.pdf): www.roche.com/pages/downloads/\line company/pdf/mboncology05e_a.pdf\line \line \line {\pard\f0\li0\ri0\sa360\sl360\fs18 Note 
for editors\line * In the US, Avastin is approved for use in combination with intravenous 
5-fluorouracil-based chemotherapy, for first-line treatment of patients with metastatic carcinoma of 
the colon or rectum.\line \line References: \line 1. J. Ferlay, F. Bray, 
P. Pisani and D.M. Parkin. GLOBOCAN 2002: Cancer Incidence, Mortality and Prevalence Worldwide IARC 
CancerBase No. 5. version 2.0, IARCPress, Lyon, 2004. \line 2. 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 3. Mitchell EP, Alberts 
SR, Schwartz BJ, et al. High-dose bevacizumab in combination with FOLFOX4 improves survival in patients 
with previously treated advanced colorectal cancer: Results from the Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group 
(ECOG) study E3200. ASCO Gastrointestinal 2005 Cancer Symposium, January 2005 (abstract 169a).\line 4. 
Kabbinavar FF, Joseph Schulz J, McCleod M, et al. Addition of Bevacizumab to Bolus 5-FU/Leucovorin in 
First-Line Metastatic Colorectal Cancer: Results of a Randomized Phase II Trial.) J Clin Oncol 23:10.1200/JCO.2005.05.112, 
2005.\par}\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}
}