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{\pard\sa900\fs50\f0\i Media Release\par}
{\pard\f0\li0\ri0\sa360\sl360\fs22 Basel, 23 February 2007\line \line {\b Avastin 
receives positive opinion in Europe for first-line treatment of women with metastatic breast cancer} \line Breakthrough 
therapy offers women the chance to live twice as long without their cancer progressing \line \line Roche 
announced today that the European Union\u8217?s Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use (CHMP) has 
issued a positive recommendation for the use of its cancer drug Avastin in combination with a standard 
chemotherapy paclitaxel (originally branded Taxol) in previously untreated metastatic breast cancer. 
The CHMP\u8217?s decision is based on Phase III trial data which show that women with metastatic breast cancer 
have the chance to live twice as long without their cancer progressing if treated with Avastin in addition 
to paclitaxel compared to paclitaxel alone. This is the first Phase III study involving an anti-angiogenic 
agent to report positive outcome for patients with metastatic breast cancer. \line \line "This 
decision represents a significant milestone, bringing breast cancer patients and the medical community 
one step closer to broadly accessing a highly effective new cancer therapy in Europe", says Williams 
M. Burns, CEO Division Roche Pharmaceuticals. "Avastin has shown excellent progression-free survival 
data in treating this disease and after approval two years ago for first line treatment of metastatic 
colorectal cancer, this decision also confirms that Avastin has the potential to become part of the 
treatment armamentarium for a whole range of tumour types."\line \line Eight 
to 
nine percent of women will develop breast cancer during their lifetime, making it the most common type 
of cancer in women.{\super 1}  Each year more than one million new cases of breast 
cancer are diagnosed worldwide, with a death rate of nearly 400,000 people per year. \line Metastatic 
breast cancer is the number one cause of cancer death worldwide in women under the age of 55{\super 2} .\line \line Additional 
phase III trials are ongoing to explore Avastin in the first line treatment of metastatic breast cancer 
in combination with the chemotherapy Taxotere (docetaxel) and other commonly used chemotherapies including 
Xeloda. Recently, a phase III trial in HER2-positive patients evaluating Avastin in combination with 
Herceptin and docetaxel was also initiated. \line \line Avastin is the first and 
only anti-angiogenic agent which has been shown to consistently deliver improved overall and/or progression-free 
survival benefit for colorectal, lung, breast and renal cell cancer patients.\line \line In 
Europe, Avastin was approved in January 2005 and in the US in February 2004 for first-line treatment 
of patients with metastatic colorectal cancer. It received another approval in the US in June 2006 as 
a second-line treatment for patients with metastatic colorectal cancer. The first filing for Avastin 
in Japan occurred in April 2006 for the treatment of advanced colorectal cancer. Most recently following 
priority review, the world\u8217?s first angiogenesis inhibitor was approved by the FDA in October 2006 for 
the treatment of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC); a filing for the same indication was submitted 
to EU authorities in August 2006. \line \line {\b About the E2100 study} \line This 
is the first Phase III study to evaluate Avastin in combination with paclitaxel for first-line treatment 
of patients with locally recurrent or metastatic breast cancer. This randomised, controlled, multi-centre 
study enrolled 722 women with previously untreated locally recurrent or metastatic breast cancer. The 
study was sponsored by the National Cancer Institute (NCI), part of the US National Institutes of Health, 
and conducted by a network of researchers led by the Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG). The 
patients were randomised to receive treatment with paclitaxel with or without Avastin. Avastin was given 
at a dose of 10mg/kg every two weeks until disease progression. The results showed that patients receiving 
Avastin plus paclitaxel had a median progression-free survival (PFS) of 13.3 months while patients receiving 
paclitaxel alone had a median PFS of 6.7 months months. PFS is a measure of the time patients live without 
their disease progressing or dying due to any cause. Overall in the trial, patients treated with Avastin 
plus paclitaxel had a 52 percent reduction in the risk of disease progression or death, as expressed 
by a hazard ratio of 0.48 (1-0.48=0.52 or 52%), which is also identical to doubling of PFS (1/0.48= 
~2).Overall survival data should become available during 2007.\line \line Overall, 
in the E2100 study, Avastin in combination with paclitaxel was generally well tolerated and had a favourable 
safety profile in patients with locally recurrent or metastatic breast cancer at the recommended dose 
of 10 mg/kg every two weeks. \line \line {\b About Avastin} \line Avastin 
is the first treatment that inhibits angiogenesis - 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, 
prostate 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 diseases, 
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 drugs for cancer and transplantation and a 
market leader in virology. In 2006 sales by the Pharmaceuticals Division totalled 33.3 billion Swiss 
francs, and the Diagnostics Division posted sales of 8.7 billion Swiss francs. Roche employs roughly 
75,000 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 at 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.\line \par}\line \line {\b Additional 
information:} \line - About Genentech (http://www.gene.com) \line - Roche 
in Oncology ( http://www.roche.com/mboncology-e.pdf)\line - Roche Health Kiosk on cancer (http://www.health-kiosk.ch/start_krebs)\line To 
access video clips, in broadcast standard, free of charge, please go to: www.thenewsmarket.com (http://roche.synapticdigital.com). 
\line \line {\pard\f0\li0\ri0\sa360\sl360\fs18 {\b References:} \line 1) World 
Health Organization, 2000.\line 2) Ferlay J, et al. Globocan 2002: Cancer incidence, mortality 
and prevalence worldwide Version 2.0 (IARC, Cancerbase No. 5) Lyon, France, IARC Press, 2004\par}\line \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}
}