{\rtf1\ansi\ansicpg1252\cocoartf949\cocoasubrtf430
{\fonttbl\f0\froman\fcharset0 TimesNewRomanPSMT;\f1\fswiss\fcharset0 ArialMT;}
{\margl1800\margr1600\margt500\margbl1440}
{\pard\sa900\fs50\f0\i Media Release\par}
Basel, 18 October, 2005\line \line {\b Further expansion of 
Tamiflu manufacturing capacity} \line \line Roche reiterates willingness to 
enter discussions with governments and other manufacturers on the production of Tamiflu for emergency 
pandemic use. \line \line Roche announced today that the Food and Drug Administration 
(FDA) has granted approval of an additional capsule manufacturing site in the US for the supply of the 
influenza antiviral Tamiflu (oseltamivir), expanding its already significantly increased worldwide production 
capacity. \line This facility is part of a network of more than a dozen production sites for 
Tamiflu worldwide, more than half of which are with third party manufacturers. \line \line William 
M. Burns, CEO Roche Pharma Division, commented: "For Tamiflu, the key need today is the rapid expansion 
of production capacity. Patients' needs in case of a pandemic remain our top priority. We have already 
significantly expanded production capacity internally and by working in close collaboration with other 
companies, and we will continue to do so. In addition, we are prepared to discuss all available options, 
including granting sub-licenses, with any government or private company who approach us to manufacture 
Tamiflu or collaborate with us in its manufacturing. In support of the global effort to fight a potential 
pandemic, we would be prepared to discuss such sub-licenses to increase the manufacturing of Tamiflu, 
provided such groups can realistically produce substantial amounts of the medicine for emergency pandemic 
use, in accordance with appropriate quality specifications, safety and regulatory guidelines". 
\line \line Tamiflu 
is designed to be active against all clinically relevant influenza viruses and key international research 
groups have demonstrated, using animal models of influenza that Tamiflu is effective against the avian 
H5N1 strain circulating in the Far East. As a result, more governments are stockpiling Tamiflu therefore 
Roche is expanding a collaborative production network to meet the increasing demand. The manufacturing 
process for Tamiflu is complex and lengthy.\line \line Roche has been working with 
many governments over the last few months to determine their needs for stockpiling of Tamiflu and has 
received and/or fulfilled orders from around 40 countries. \line \line {\b About 
Tamiflu (oseltamivir) } \line Tamiflu is designed to be active against all clinically 
relevant influenza viruses.{\super {\pard\f0\li0\ri0\sa360\sl360\fs18 3\par}}  It works 
by blocking the action of the neuraminidase (NAI) enzyme on the surface of the virus. When neuraminidase 
is inhibited, the virus is not able to spread to and infect other cells in the body.\line \line Tamiflu 
delivers:\line \u8226? 38 percent reduction in the severity of symptoms{\super {\pard\f0\li0\ri0\sa360\sl360\fs18 1\par}} \line \u8226? 
67 percent reduction in secondary complications such as bronchitis, pneumonia and sinusitis in otherwise 
healthy individuals{\super {\pard\f0\li0\ri0\sa360\sl360\fs18 2\par}}  \u160?\line \u8226? 
37 percent reduction in the duration of influenza illness{\pard\f0\li0\ri0\sa360\sl360\fs18 {\super 5,3} \par}\line \u8226? 
Tamiflu was shown to provide up to 89 percent overall protective efficacy against 
clinical influenza in adults and adolescents who had been in close contact with influenza-infected patients{\super {\pard\f0\li0\ri0\sa360\sl360\fs18 4\par}}  
\line \line In children, Tamiflu delivers:\line \u8226? 36 percent reduction 
in the severity 
and duration of influenza symptoms{\super {\pard\f0\li0\ri0\sa360\sl360\fs18 5\par}}  \line \u8226? 
44 percent reduced incidence of associated otitis 
media as compared to standard care{\super {\pard\f0\li0\ri0\sa360\sl360\fs18 6\par}}  \line \line As 
with any antiviral, a theoretical 
potential exists for an influenza virus to emerge with decreased sensitivity to a drug. Extensive monitoring, 
by Roche and the independently established Neuraminidase Inhibitor Susceptibility Network (NISN) measured 
the incidence of resistance to NAIs. From around 4000 patients treated with Tamiflu resistance was encountered 
in 0.4 per cent in adults and 4 per cent in children aged one to 12. This resistant virus was found 
to be less virulent than the wild type virus and did not affect the course of the illness.\line \line The 
greatest use of Tamiflu today is in Japan. To illustrate this, there were an estimated 16 million influenza 
infections in Japan over the 2004/2005 influenza season. Roche estimates that around 6 million of those 
individuals infected with the influenza virus received Tamiflu. Even with this degree of usage, resistance 
appears very infrequent. \line \line {\b Avian Influenza and Pandemics} \line Most 
avian influenza viruses are not infectious to humans, but, should an avian and a human influenza virus 
co-infect a human or a pig, the virus strains can join, mutate and create a completely new virus, which 
may be transmissible from animals to humans, and from humans to humans. Such a strain would be entirely 
new in composition, so vaccines developed and administered to date to protect humans during seasonal 
epidemics, would be ineffective against this new strain, leaving the population vulnerable to infection. 
Experts believe the next influenza pandemic could result from such a mutation of virus strains.\line \line {\b World 
Health Organisation} \line The WHO has recommended as part of its Pandemic Preparedness 
Plan 
that countries establish stockpiles of antiviral treatments such as Tamiflu, which are effective against 
all strains of the influenza virus. The Pandemic Preparedness Plan, along with details of the 15 countries 
that have implemented national plans, can be viewed on the Internet (http://www.who.int/csr/resources/publications/influenza/WHO_CDS_CSR_EDC_99_1/en/).\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.\line \line {\pard\f0\li0\ri0\sa360\sl360\fs18 All 
trademarks 
used or mentioned in this release are legally protected.\par}\line \line \line Additional 
information\line - Roche Health-Kiosk, Influenza (http://www.health-kiosk.ch/start_grip.htm)\line - 
About Tamiflu (http://www.roche.com/med_mbtamiflu05e.pdf)\line - About influenza (http://www.roche.com/med_mbinfluenza05e.pdf)\line - 
WHO: Global influenza programme (http://www.who.int/csr/disease/influenza/en/)\line - WHO: Avian flu (http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/avian_influenza/en/)\line \line \line {\pard\f0\li0\ri0\sa360\sl360\fs18 1 
\u160?Treanor JJ et al. Efficacy and safety of the oral neuraminidase inhibitor oseltamivir in treating 
acute influenza: a randomized, controlled trial. JAMA 2000;283: 1016\u8211?24\line 2 \u160?Kaiser 
et al. Impact of Oseltamivir treatment on influenza-related lower respiratory tract complications and 
hospitalisations. Arch Intern Med. 163:1667-1672 (2003)\line 3 \u160?Nicholson KG et al. Efficacy 
and safety of oseltamivir in treatment of acute influenza: a randomised controlled trial. Lancet 2000; 
355:1845\u8211?1850\line 4 \u160?Welliver R. W. et al. Effectiveness of oseltamivir in preventing 
influenza in household contacts: a randomized controlled trial. JAMA, 2001 Feb 14; 285(6): 748-754\line 5 
\u160?Whitely RJ, Hayden FG et al; Oral oseltamivir treatment of influenza in children, Pediatr Infect 
Dis J 2000; 20: 122-133\line 6 \u160?Roche data on file, 2003\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}
}