{\rtf1\ansi\ansicpg1252\cocoartf949\cocoasubrtf430
{\fonttbl\f0\froman\fcharset0 TimesNewRomanPSMT;\f1\fswiss\fcharset0 ArialMT;}
{\margl1800\margr1600\margt500\margbl1440}
{\pard\sa900\fs50\f0\i Media Release\par}
{\pard\f0\li0\ri0\sa360\sl360\fs22 Basel, 30. March 2007\line \line {\b Xeloda 
approved in Europe for the treatment of advanced stomach cancer } \line New effective 
oral treatment option also reduces time in hospital by 80%\line \line The European 
Commission approved Xeloda in combination with platinum-based chemotherapy, for first-line use in patients 
with advanced stomach cancer. Oral chemotherapy Xeloda is already replacing standard intravenous (i.v.) 
therapy 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) in other gastrointestinal cancers, and now for the first time patients 
with advanced stomach cancer will also benefit from this effective and convenient treatment option.\line \line William 
M. Burns, CEO Roche Pharma Division, said: "The news from the European Commission is welcome by 
both patients and physicians. Stomach cancer is a particularly aggressive and debilitating type of cancer 
and with Xeloda, Roche can provide an effective oral therapy resulting in a cost effective approach 
with less hospital visits and more flexibility for the patient".\line \line Stomach 
cancer is the fourth most commonly diagnosed cancer and the second leading cause of cancer-related deaths 
worldwide{\super 1} . Annually, there are an estimated 911,000 deaths worldwide{\super 2} , 
with nearly 140,000 deaths in Europe alone{\super 3} .\line \line "Not 
only is capecitabine as effective and safe as intravenous treatment but it also reduces the time patients 
need to spend in hospital by 80%, from five days every three weeks to only one day every three weeks." 
said Professor Y.K. Kang of the Asan Medical Center, Seoul, South Korea. "Up to now, the standard 
treatment has involved using intravenous pumps which the patients find inconvenient and uncomfortable. 
As an oral drug, capecitabine can be taken in the comfort of your own home, making it much more convenient. 
The clinical community welcomes this news as we now have a new option for our patients" \line \line The 
approval of Xeloda in combination with platinum-based chemotherapy (with or without epirubicin), was 
based on two trials, called ML17032 and REAL 2. \u160?Both these trials showed that patients on the 
Xeloda-containing arms lived at least as long overall as those on the 5-FU arms. \u160?In fact, the 
REAL 2 study showed patients on one of the Xeloda-containing arms (EOX) lived significantly longer than 
the reference 5-FU arm (ECF). \line \line Xeloda on its own is already available 
in other gastrointestinal cancers, including colorectal cancer that has spread and post-surgery colon 
cancer. \u160?Recently, Xeloda has been filed in the USA for first and second line treatment (with or 
without Avastin) of advanced colorectal cancer. Additional filings of Xeloda and Avastin combination 
therapy are planned in the near future. In addition, Roche is running a large Phase III program in early 
stage colon cancer, which includes Xeloda in combination with oxaliplatin (XELOX) with or without Avastin.\line \line {\b About 
Study ML17032}  \line The study, led by Professor Y K Kang and his team, is a large randomised, 
open-label, international phase III study in advanced stomach cancer. \u160?\line It was conducted 
in 316 patients enrolled in 46 centres across 13 countries in Asia, South America and Europe. \u160?\line The 
study compared the efficacy and safety of Xeloda and cisplatin (XP) with intravenous (i.v.) 5-FU and 
cisplatin (FP): FP is a standard treatment of stomach cancer, and is accepted by the majority of regulatory 
agencies as one of the reference regimens against which all other regimens should be compared.\line The 
primary end point was non-inferiority in progression-free survival.\line Patients receiving 
the XP combination therapy lived at least as long without the cancer progressing as those treated with 
FP.\line Patients on XP also lived at least as long overall as those on FP, showing evidence 
of non inferiority.\line The study confirms that Xeloda can effectively replace the old standard 
i.v. 5-FU, in combination with cisplatin, as first-line therapy for advanced stomach cancer.\line \line {\b About 
REAL 2 Study} \line The largest-ever phase III study in advanced gastro-oesophageal cancer.\line It 
was conducted in 1002 advanced gastro-oesophageal cancer patients from 61 centres mainly in the UK.\line The 
study aimed to establish the potential use of Xeloda (X) and oxaliplatin (O) in untreated patients.\line Patients 
were randomised to one of four regimens: epirubicin, cisplatin and 5-FU (ECF), epirubicin, oxaliplatin 
and 5-FU (EOF), epirubicin, cisplatin and Xeloda (ECX) or epirubicin, oxaliplatin and Xeloda (EOX).\line The 
primary comparison was overall survival between the Xeloda and 5-FU containing arms (ECX + EOX versus 
ECF + EOF) and the oxaliplatin and cisplatin containing arms (EOF + EOX versus ECF + ECX). \u160?A further 
comparison was survival between all four regimens.\line The study showed that Xeloda was as 
effective as 5-FU and could replace 5-FU.\line The study showed that patients treated with 
the combination of Xeloda plus oxaliplatin and epirubicin (EOX) live significantly longer, compared 
to patients treated with standard epirubicin, cisplatin and 5-FU (ECF).\line \line {\b About 
Xeloda} \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. \u160?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 i.v. chemotherapy with anthracyclines. 
\u160?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. \u160?Xeloda recently 
received approval in South Korea for the first-line treatment of patients with locally advanced (metastatic) 
pancreatic cancer, in combination with gemcitabine. \u160?\line Xeloda is licensed in South 
Korea for the first-line treatment of stomach cancer. \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 the world\u8217?s biggest biotech company and an innovator of 
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 the world leader in diagnostics and drugs for cancer and transplantation, a market leader in virology 
and active in other major therapeutic areas such as autoimmune diseases, inflammation, metabolism and 
central nervous system. 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 
worldwide 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.\par}\line \line \line {\b Additional 
information:} \line - Gastric cancer fact sheet (http://www.roche.com/med_mbgastric.pdf)\line - Xeloda 
in gastric cancer fact sheet (http://www.roche.com/med_mbxeloda.pdf)\line - Roche in oncology (http://www.roche.com/mboncology-e.pdf)\line - 
Broadcast quality B-roll (http://roche.synapticdigital.com) including doctor, caregiver and patient interviews \line \line \line {\pard\f0\li0\ri0\sa360\sl360\fs18 References:\line 1) 
Ajani, J. Evolving Chemotherapy for Advanced Gastric Cancer. The Oncologist, Oct. 2005; Vol. 10, Sup. 
3, 49-582\line 2) World Health Organisation, 2005.\line 3) Boyle, P & Ferlay, 
J. Cancer incidence and mortality in Europe 2004. Annals of Oncology 2005; 16(3):481-4883.\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}
}