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{\pard\sa900\fs50\f0\i Media Release\par}
{\pard\f0\li0\ri0\sa360\sl360\fs22 Basel, 19 April 2006\line \line {\b Rapid 
response stockpile 
of Tamiflu now ready and available to the World Health Organisation (WHO)} \line \line 3 
million treatment courses ready to be shipped to site of influenza pandemic outbreak\line \line Roche 
announced today that the "Rapid Response Stockpile" of Tamiflu is now assembled and available 
to the WHO upon request. A symbolic \u8220?handover\u8221? event has taken place today between Franz B. Humer, Chairman 
and CEO of Roche, and Lee Jong-Wook, Director General, WHO. The agreement in which Roche committed to 
reserve for donation to the WHO a \u8220?Rapid Response Stockpile\u8221? of 3 million treatment courses (30 million 
capsules) of the influenza antiviral Tamiflu (oseltamivir) for the use by the WHO was signed on August 
22nd 2005. The aim is to contain an emerging outbreak of a novel and potentially pandemic strain of 
influenza and to slow or prevent its national and international spread. Roche will deliver the required 
stockpile to an international airport of the WHO\u8217?s choosing.\line \line As of 2.30pm 
CET, pictures / downloads of the event will be available at (link inactive until then): http://www.roche.com/pages/downloads/photosel/060419/ (http://www.roche.com/pages/downloads/photosel/060419/)\line \line Roche 
has been in discussions with governments as early as 1997 regarding pandemic preparedness and in the 
last few years, has supplied Tamiflu to over 65 governments around the world for pandemic stockpiling. 
Clearly, anti-viral medicines like Tamiflu are an important component of any pandemic preparedness plan. 
To meet this demand, by working with third parties, Roche has substantially increased the production 
of Tamiflu and are in a position to produce 400 million treatments annually by the end of this year. 
In addition, sub-licensing agreements have been granted to companies in China and India for production 
of oseltamivir. \line \line During discussions with governments, it became clear 
that developing nations were 
the least prepared in terms of antiviral stockpiling. Subsequent discussions between Roche and WHO led 
to the concept of a rapid response stockpile of 3 million treatments, 1.5 million treatments being stored 
in Kaiseraugst and 1.5 million treatments stored in Nutley, US. The idea of such stock is to use the 
medicine as a fire blanket, to contain a pandemic where it starts. \line Under a separate 
agreement, Roche has also donated a further two million treatment courses to WHO for use in those developing 
countries which are most likely to be affected by avian influenza in humans and are unable to afford 
the drug. These treatment courses can be used by WHO according to its assessment of the situation, and 
will be available for delivery at the end of the year. \line \line {\b About 
Tamiflu (oseltamivir)} \line Tamiflu is designed to be active against all clinically relevant 
influenza viruses and 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 {\b Roche and Gilead} \line Tamiflu 
was invented by Gilead Sciences and licensed to Roche in 1996. Roche and Gilead partnered on clinical 
development, with Roche leading efforts to produce, register and bring the product to the markets. Under 
the terms of the companies\u8217? agreement, amended in November 2005, Gilead participates with Roche in the 
consideration of sub-licenses for the pandemic supply of oseltamivir. To ensure broader access to Tamiflu 
for all patients in need, Gilead has agreed to waive its right to full royalty payments for product 
sold under these sub-licenses.\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 
2005 sales by the Pharmaceuticals Division totalled 27.3 billion Swiss francs, and the Diagnostics Division 
posted sales of 8.2 billion Swiss francs. Roche employs roughly 70,000 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 \line {\b 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_mbackgrinfluenza05e.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 \line {\pard\f0\li0\ri0\sa360\sl360\fs18 References\line 1. 
Govorkova E.A and Webster R.G. Evaluation of oseltamivir in lethal H5N1 in vivo model. Presented 20 
January, 2006 at The First Pandemic of the 21st century \u8211? a central role for antivirals conference, 
London. \line 2. Yen et al. Duration and Dosage of Oseltamivir Treatment of H5N1 (A/Vietnam/1203/04) 
influenza virus infection in mice. Journal of Infectious Diseases, 2005.\line 3. 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 4. Kaiser et al. Impact of Oseltamivir 
treatment on influenza-related lower respiratory tract complications and hospitalisations. Arch Intern 
Med. 163:1667-1672 (2003).\line 5. 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 6. 
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 7. Whitely RJ, Hayden 
FG et al; Oral oseltamivir treatment of influenza in children, Pediatr Infect Dis J 2000; 20: 122-133.\line 8. 
Roche data on file, 2003.\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}
}