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{\pard\sa900\fs50\f0\i Media Release\par}
{\pard\f0\li0\ri0\sa360\sl360\fs22 Basel, 8 August 2006\line \line {\b Avastin 
filed in 
Europe for treatment of most common form of lung cancer} \line First medicine to extend 
survival 
of previously untreated patients beyond one year\line \line Roche announced today 
that it has submitted a Marketing Authorisation Application (MAA) to the European Medicines Agency (EMEA) 
for the use of its innovative cancer medicine Avastin in addition to platinum-based chemotherapy for 
the first-line treatment of the most common form of lung cancer - non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) 
in patients with a certain cell type. The filing is based on data from the pivotal US (E4599) trial 
which showed a strong survival benefit for patients treated with Avastin plus chemotherapy compared 
to chemotherapy alone, as well as preliminary data from the ongoing AVAiL trial. \line \line This 
signals new reason for hope in Europe, where lung cancer claims more than 900 lives per day, making 
it the leading cause of cancer-related deaths.{\super 1}  Few effective treatment options 
exist. Avastin was submitted 
in April in the US for NSCLC with histology other than predominant squamous cell and is currently undergoing 
priority review. \line \line Avastin is the first biological therapy to show survival 
benefit in people with previously untreated non-small cell lung cancer,\u8221? said Eduard Holdener, Head 
Global Drug Development. \u8220?Providing patients with novel treatment options to help them fight their disease 
is a priority for Roche, so we are very pleased to take the next step in making Avastin available to 
patients with this particularly devastating form of cancer\u8221?.\line \line After colorectal 
and breast cancer, lung cancer is the third type of cancer in which the anti-angiogenic agent Avastin 
has demonstrated significant survival benefit. In Europe, Avastin was approved in January 2005 and in 
the US in February 2004 for the first-line treatment of patients with metastatic colorectal cancer in 
combination with IV 5-FU-based chemotherapy. It received another approval in the US in June 2006 as 
a second-line treatment for patients with metastatic colorectal cancer in combination with IV 5-FU-based 
chemotherapy. The first filing for Avastin in Japan occurred in April 2006 for the treatment of advanced 
colorectal cancer. More recently, Avastin was filed for the treatment of women with advanced breast 
cancer in the EU in July 2006, which followed the US May 2006 filing of Avastin in combination with 
taxane chemotherapy for patients who have not previously received chemotherapy for their locally recurrent 
or metastatic breast cancer. \line \line {\b About the pivotal (E4599) 
study} \line The 
EU filing of Avastin in NSCLC is based on impressive data from the randomised, controlled, multicenter 
Phase III study E4599. These study results have been accepted for publication in the New England Journal 
of Medicine. \line \line The results of the E4599 study of 878 
patients 
with locally 
advanced, metastatic or recurrent NSCLC with histology other than predominant squamous cell show that:\par}{\pard\f0\li440\ri0\sl360\fs22 - Patients 
treated with Avastin plus paclitaxel and carboplatin chemotherapy had a 20 percent reduction 
in the risk of death at any time of the study conduct, compared to patients receiving chemotherapy alone.\par}{\pard\f0\li440\ri0\sl360\fs22 - Median 
survival of patients treated with Avastin at a dose of 15mg/kg every three weeks plus chemotherapy 
was 12.3 months, compared to 10.3 months for patients treated with chemotherapy alone{\super 3} \par}{\pard\f0\li440\ri0\sl360\fs22 - Median 
time patients lived without their disease advancing (\u8220?progression free survival\u8221?) was increased 
by 33%: 6.4 months for patients treated with Avastin plus chemotherapy, compared to 4.8 months for patients 
treated with chemotherapy alone\par}{\pard\f0\li440\ri0\sl360\fs22 - Response rate in patients with 
measurable disease was 
29 percent in the group receiving Avastin plus chemotherapy, compared to 13 percent in the group receiving 
chemotherapy alone\par}{\pard\f0\li440\ri0\sl360\fs22 - Pulmonary haemorrhage (haemoptysis) cases were 
observed in 2.3% 
of the patients receiving Avastin plus chemotherapy\par}\line {\pard\f0\li0\ri0\sa360\sl360\fs22 {\b About 
AVAiL} \line AVAiL 
is a randomised, controlled, multicenter international Phase III trial planning to enrol 1,050 patients 
with previously untreated advanced non-squamous NSCLC with histology other than predominant squamous 
cell to explore two doses of Avastin (7.5 or 15 mg/kg every 3 weeks) in combination with a platinum 
doublet (gemcitabine/cisplatin) chemotherapy. The primary objective of the study is to demonstrate superiority 
in progression-free survival of both Avastin containing treatment arms versus control.\line \line Preliminary 
data from AVAiL was submitted for regulatory purposes only to support the EU filing. The study blind 
has not been broken and final AVAiL data are expected in 2007. Only then will conclusions be drawn on 
the efficacy of the two doses of Avastin used in AVAiL.\line \line {\b About 
Lung Cancer} \line Lung 
cancer accounts for 1 in 3 and 1 in 4 cancer-related deaths in men and women, respectively. NSCLC is 
the most common form of the disease and accounts for more than 80 percent of all lung cancers, with 
histology other than predominant squamous cell as the most common subtype accounting for approximately 
60 percent of NSCLC cases. Sadly, the majority of NSCLC cases are diagnosed at an advanced stage{\super 2}  
when 
the cancer is inoperable or has already spread to another part of the body. In spite of the use of chemotherapy 
as the first-line treatment option, less than five percent of people with advanced NSCLC survive for 
five years after diagnosis and most die within twelve months{\super 2} . \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 Roche and Genentech are pursuing a comprehensive 
clinical programme investigating the use of Avastin in various tumour types (including colorectal, breast, 
lung, pancreatic cancer, ovarian cancer, renal cell carcinoma and others) and different settings (advanced 
and adjuvant ie post-operation). The total development programme is expected to include over 40,000 
patients 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 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 protected by law\par}.\line \line \line {\b Additional 
information} \line - Lung Cancer (http://www.roche.com/med_mbackgrlungcancer.pdf)  
\line - 
Roche in Oncology ( http://www.roche.com/med_mboncology06e.pdf)\line - Roche Health 
Kiosk, Cancer (http://www.health-kiosk.ch/start_krebs)\line \line \line \line {\pard\f0\li0\ri0\sa360\sl360\fs18 References\line 1.Boyle 
P and Ferlay J. Cancer incidence and mortality in Europe, 2004. Annal Oncol: 16; 481-488, 2005.\line 2.Wilking 
N and Jonsson B. A Pan-European comparison regarding patient access to cancer drugs.\line Karolinska 
Institute in collaboration with Stockholm School of Economics, Stockholm, Sweden, 2005.\line 3. 
Sandler AB, Gray R, Bhramer J, et al. Randomized phase II/III Trial of paclitaxel (P) plus carboplatin 
(C) with or without bevacizumab (NSC # 704865) in patients with advanced non-squamous non-small cell 
lung cancer (NSCLC): An Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) Trial \u8211? E4599. ASCO 2005, Abstract 
LBA4.\par}\line \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}
}