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{\pard\sa900\fs50\f0\i Media Release\par}
{\pard\f0\li0\ri0\sa360\sl360\fs22 Basel, 24 January 2006\line \line {\b US 
FDA joint advisory committee recommends approval of weight loss 
drug Orlistat 60mg capsules for over the counter use} \line \line Low-dose orlistat 
has potential 
to be the only FDA-approved weight-loss treatment available over the counter in US\line \line Roche 
announces that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration\u8217?s (FDA) joint Nonprescription Drugs and Endocrinologic 
and Metabolic Drugs Advisory Committee recommended (11 to 3) that orlistat 60 mg capsules be approved 
for over the counter use in the United States to promote weight loss in overweight adults, when used 
along with a reduced calorie, low-fat diet. If approved by FDA, OTC orlistat, which GlaxoSmithKline 
Consumer Healthcare proposes to market under the brand name Alli (pronounced AL-eye), would be the only 
FDA-approved weight loss drug available over the counter. Alli would be indicated for use by overweight 
adults along with a reduced calorie, low-fat diet.\line \line GlaxoSmithKline 
Consumer Healthcare currently promotes prescription Xenical (orlistat 120mg) in the U.S. following an 
agreement with Roche. Xenical will remain available by prescription for obesity management including 
weight loss and weight maintenance when used in conjunction with a reduced-calorie diet and to reduce 
the risk for weight regain after prior weight loss in patients with an initial body mass index (BMI) 
>/=30 kg/m{\super {\pard\f0\li0\ri0\sa360\sl360\fs18 2\par}}  or >/=27 kg/m{\super {\pard\f0\li0\ri0\sa360\sl360\fs18 2\par}}  
in the presence of other risk factors (eg, hypertension, diabetes, dyslipidemia). 
Xenical will continue to be marketed by Roche throughout the rest of the world.\line \line The 
safety and efficacy of Xenical, which has been marketed as a prescription drug in the U.S. since 1999, 
is supported by more than 100 controlled clinical studies conducted in more than 30 countries, including 
the four-year landmark XENDOS trial, the longest study ever of a weight loss medicine, which demonstrated 
a reduced risk of progressing to diabetes. Xenical has been used in more than 22 million patient treatments 
in 145 countries\line \line Orlistat is a weight-loss medication that works locally 
in the gut by inhibiting the absorption of dietary fat and does not act centrally. Orlistat should be 
used in conjunction with a reduced calorie diet that contains no more than 30 percent of calories from 
fat. Following such a diet maximizes weight loss and minimizes unwanted gastrointestinal treatment effects. 
Help and advice on adopting a healthy eating plan will be provided in the Alli program.\line  
\line {\b About the Overweight Population } \line In recent years, 
while the prevalence 
of the US population being overweight has consistently remained around 30%, the prevalence of obesity 
has risen steadily.{\pard\f0\li0\ri0\sa360\sl360\fs18 {\super 1} \par} Research suggests 
that overweight individuals appear to be on the pathway 
to obesity,{\super {\pard\f0\li0\ri0\sa360\sl360\fs18 2\par}} ,{\super {\pard\f0\li0\ri0\sa360\sl360\fs18 3\par}}  
a condition that is associated with an increased risk of developing health problems 
such as hypertension, type 2 diabetes and heart disease.{\super {\pard\f0\li0\ri0\sa360\sl360\fs18 4\par}}  
Factors that can contribute to being 
overweight include an abundance of high-calorie foods, low levels of physical activity, behavior, environment, 
and genetics.{\super {\pard\f0\li0\ri0\sa360\sl360\fs18 5\par}}  Currently, 65 percent (or 
approximately 130 million) of U.S. adults are overweight 
or obese, according to the National Institutes of Health.{\super {\pard\f0\li0\ri0\sa360\sl360\fs18 6\par}} \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. 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 \line {\b Additional 
information} \line - Roche Health-Kiosk, Overweight (http://www.health-kiosk.ch/start_uebg.htm)\line - 
Managing your weight (http://www.roche-obesity.net)\line - About GlaxoSmithKline (http://www.gsk.com)\line \line \line {\pard\f0\li0\ri0\sa360\sl360\fs18 1 
\u160?Hedley AA, Ogden CL, Johnson CL, Carroll MD, Curtin LR, Flegal KM. Prevalence of overweight and 
obesity among US children, adolescents, and adults 1999-2002. JAMA 2004;291:2847-2850.\line 2 
\u160?Flegal KM, Carroll MD, Ogden CL, Johnson CL. Prevalence and trends in obesity among US adults, 
1999-2000. JAMA 2002;288:1723-1727. \line 3 \u160?McTigue KM, Garrett JM, Popkin BM. The natural 
history of the development of obesity in a cohort of young US adults between 1981-1998. Ann Intern Med 
2002;136:857-864.\line 4 \u160?Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: \u8220?Overweight and 
Obesity.\u8221? http://www.cdc.gov/nccdphp/dnpa/obesity/. Accessed 12/22/05. \line 5 \u160?Centers 
for Disease Control and Prevention. \u8220?Overweight and Obesity: Contributing Factors.\u8221? http://www.cdc.gov/nccdphp/dnpa/obesity/contributing_factors.htm. 
Accessed 12/22/05.\line 6 \u160?U.S. Department of Health and Human Services \u8220?Statistics Related 
to Overweight and Obesity.\u8221? \line http://win.niddk.nih.gov/statistics#preval Accessed 12/22/05.\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}
}