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{\pard\sa900\fs50\f0\i Media Release\par}
Basel, 11 December 2006 \line \line {\b Xeloda meets primary 
endpoint in multinational Phase III advanced colorectal cancer study} \line \line Roche 
to approach world-wide regulatory authorities for a new file submission\line \line Roche 
announced today that a large, international Phase III study (NO16967) of 627 previously treated patients 
with advanced colorectal cancer met its primary endpoint of progression-free survival. \u160?Study results 
showed that the chemotherapy combination XELOX (oral Xeloda plus oxaliplatin) is as effective in delaying 
disease progression as the chemotherapy combination FOLFOX-4 (infused 5-FU/leucovorin plus oxaliplatin). 
\line \line \u8220?This data endorses previous findings that oral Xeloda in combination 
with oxaliplatin may provide a new treatment choice for colorectal cancer patients\u8221? said Eduard Holdener, 
Head of Global Development at Roche. \u8220? These data will be used in the submission to worldwide regulatory 
authorities to allow patients with colorectal cancer the opportunity to have an effective and more convenient 
therapy.\u8221? \line \line Xeloda is an oral chemotherapy that can be taken at home and 
as such it has an important convenience benefit for both patients and doctors compared to intravenous 
infusions which require multiple hospital visits. This targeted cancer medicine is already used in previously 
untreated colorectal cancer patients and last year Xeloda received the additional approval for the treatment 
of early (adjuvant) colon cancer. \u160?\u160?\line \line Results from the NO16967 
study will be submitted for presentation at future major medical meetings.\line \line  
\u8220?Our data complement the findings of the NO16966 study, suggesting that XELOX is a very reasonable treatment 
option for patients with recurrent colorectal cancer,\u8221? said Mace Rothenberg, MD, lead investigator and 
Professor of Medicine at Vanderbilt University Medical Center and Ingram Professor of Cancer Research 
at Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center. \u160?\u8220?By demonstrating that Xeloda in combination with oxaliplatin 
was as effective as FOLFOX-4, these two studies provide the strongest evidence yet that Xeloda may be 
used in place of IV 5-FU in the treatment of patients with advanced colorectal cancer.\u8221? \line \line In 
2004, colorectal cancer was one of the leading cancers and accounted for 13 percent of all cancers.{\super {\pard\f0\li0\ri0\sa360\sl360\fs18 1\par}}  
It is estimated that more than 394,000 people die worldwide from colorectal cancer each year.{\super {\pard\f0\li0\ri0\sa360\sl360\fs18 2\par}} \line \line {\b About 
the Study} \line The NO16967 trial is a large, international phase III trial which randomized 
627 patients from 15 countries world-wide who had previously received chemotherapy and whose disease 
had returned or continued to progress. \line The primary objective was to answer whether the 
XELOX regimen (Xeloda plus oxaliplatin) is as effective as \u160?FOLFOX 4 (intravenous bolus and infusional 
5-fluorouracil/leucovorin plus oxaliplatin) in delaying disease progression or death. The secondary 
outcomes, to be reviewed included overall survival, overall response rates, and safety profile.\line \line {\b About 
XELOX} \line An abbreviation for a type of combination chemotherapy used to treat colorectal 
cancer; it contains Xeloda (capecitabine) plus oxaliplatin. \line \line {\b About 
Xeloda 
(capecitabine)} \line Xeloda is licensed in more than 90 countries worldwide including 
the EU, 
USA, Japan, Australia and Canada and has been shown to be an effective, safe, simple and convenient 
oral chemotherapy in treating over 1 million patients to date.\line \line Roche 
received marketing authorisation for Xeloda as a first-line monotherapy (by itself) in the treatment 
of metastatic colorectal cancer (colorectal cancer that has spread to other parts of the body) in most 
countries (including the EU and USA) in 2001. Xeloda has also been approved by the European Medicines 
Agency (EMEA) and U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for adjuvant (post-surgery) treatment of colon 
cancer in March and June 2005, respectively.\line \line Xeloda is licensed in combination 
with Taxotere (docetaxel) in women with metastatic breast cancer (breast cancer that has spread to other 
parts of the body) and whose disease has progressed following intravenous (i.v.) chemotherapy with anthracyclines. 
Xeloda monotherapy is also indicated for treatment of patients with metastatic breast cancer that is 
resistant to other chemotherapy drugs such as paclitaxel and anthracyclines. Xeloda is licensed for 
the first-line treatment of stomach cancer that has spread, in South Korea.\line \line The 
most commonly reported adverse events with Xeloda include diarrhoea, abdominal pain, nausea, stomatitis 
and hand-foot syndrome (palmar-plantar erythrodysesthaesia).\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 {\b Additional 
information} \line - Roche in Oncology (http://www.roche.com/mboncology-e.pdf)\line - Roche 
Health Kiosk, Cancer (http://www.health-kiosk.ch/start_krebs)\line \line \line {\pard\f0\li0\ri0\sa360\sl360\fs18 References: 
\line 1. Boyle P, Ferlay J. Cancer incidence and mortality in Europe, 2004. Annals of Oncology 
2005; 16:481-488\line 2. Boyle P, Langman JS. ABC of colorectal cancer. Epidemiology. BMJ 
2000; 321:805-808\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}
}