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{\pard\sa900\fs50\f0\i Media Release\par}
{\pard\f0\li0\ri0\sa360\sl360\fs22 Basel,18 April 2007\line \line {\b Breakthrough 
cancer drug Avastin approved in Japan for use in advanced or recurrent colorectal cancer} \line \line \line Chugai, 
a member of the Roche Group, announced that marketing approval has been granted for the use of the breakthrough 
cancer drug Avastin (bevacizumab) in patients with inoperable advanced or recurrent colorectal cancer 
in Japan. \line \line The Japanese Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare (MHLW) 
has granted this approval following the recommendation made in July 2005 by the Investigational Committee 
for Usage of Unapproved Drugs that an early filing be made for Avastin. This process enables faster 
submission of certain medicines with proven efficacy which are approved in the US and/or Europe but 
are not yet available in Japan. \line \line "Today\u8217?s approval represents a 
significant milestone for doctors and patients in Japan, especially given the high incidence of colorectal 
cancer in this country." said Williams M. Burns, CEO Division Roche Pharmaceuticals "We will 
now work to ensure that Avastin is made available to Japanese patients suffering from colorectal cancer 
as quickly as possible." \line \line This approval is based on Japanese Phase 
I and Safety Confirmation Study data, along with supporting US and European Phase II and pivotal Phase 
III data which demonstrated Avastin\u8217?s improvement of overall and/or progression-free survival in metastatic 
colorectal cancer.{\super 1,2,3,4}  \line \line In Japan, the incidence 
of colorectal cancer has increased significantly in the last 50 years and research interest in this 
cancer has grown rapidly among Japanese clinicians and pathologists{\super 5} . In 
2005, colorectal cancer was one of the most commonly reported cancer with an estimated incidence of 
115,000 people in Japan{\super 6} . \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. In October 2006, following priority 
review, the world\u8217?s first angiogenesis inhibitor was approved by the FDA for the treatment of non-small 
cell lung cancer (NSCLC); a filing for the same indication was submitted to EU authorities in August 
2006. Most recently in April 2007, Avastin was approved in Europe for the first line treatment of women 
with metastatic breast cancer. \u160?\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 in-vitro 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 - Chugai Pharmaceutical Co (http://www.chugai-pharm.co.jp/english/index.html)\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 - 
Video clips, in broadcast standard, free of charge (http://www.thenewsmarket.com/)\line \line \line {\pard\f0\li0\ri0\sa360\sl360\fs18 References\line 1. 
Hurwitz, H, Fehrenbacher, L, Novotny, W, et al. Bevacizumab plus Irinotecan, Fluorouracil, and Leucovorin 
for Metastatic Colorectal Cancer. New England Journal of Medicine 2004; 350(23): 2335\u8211?2342 \line 2. 
Kabbinavar FF, Joseph Schulz J, McCleod M, et al. Addition of Bevacizumab to Bolus 5-FU/Leucovorin in 
First-Line Metastatic Colorectal Cancer: Results of a Randomized Phase II Trial.) J Clin Oncol 23:10.1200/JCO.2005.05.112, 
2005\line 3. Mitchell EP, Alberts SR, Schwartz BJ, et al. High-dose bevacizumab in combination 
with FOLFOX4 improves survival in patients with previously treated advanced colorectal cancer: Results 
from the Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) study E3200. ASCO Gastrointestinal 2005 Cancer Symposium, 
January 2005 (abstract 169a) \line 4. Cassidy J, et al. Annal Oncol 2006;17(Suppl 9)\line 5. 
Koyame Y, Kotake K. Overview of colorectal cancer in Japan: report from the Registry of the Japanese 
Society for Cancer of the Colon and Rectum.; Dis Colon Rectum 1997, Oct, 40 (10 Suppl): S2-9.\line 6. 
A.Oshima, T.Kuroishi, K.Tajima, Cancer White Paper -Incidence/Death/Progonosis - 2004\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}
}