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{\pard\sa900\fs50\f0\i Media Release\par}
Basel, 25 June 2007\line \line {\b Roche makes offer to acquire 
Ventana for 75 US dollars per share in cash} \line Roche to expand into fast growing tissue-based 
cancer diagnostics, enhancing its position as leading fully-integrated personalised 
healthcare company\line \line Roche, a world-leading healthcare provider of pharmaceuticals 
and diagnostics, will make a tender offer to acquire all outstanding shares of common stock of Ventana 
Medical Systems Inc. (NASDAQ: VMSI) for 75 US dollars per share in cash, or an aggregate of approximately 
3 billion US dollars on a fully diluted basis. This offer represents a 44% premium to Ventana\u8217?s close 
of 51.95 US dollars on June 22, 2007 and a 55% premium to its three-month average of 48.30 US dollars. 
The acquisition of Ventana, a leader in the fast-growing histopathology (tissue-based diagnostics) segment, 
will allow Roche to broaden its diagnostic offerings and complements its world leadership in both in-vitro 
diagnostic systems and oncology therapies. The entry of Roche into tissue-based diagnostics is an important 
step in Roche\u8217?s strategy of delivering personalised healthcare solutions to patients. \line \line Commenting 
on the offer, Franz B. Humer, Chairman and CEO of Roche, said: "We believe our proposal for Ventana 
represents a unique opportunity for both our companies and their respective stockholders. Ventana will 
be an outstanding addition to the Roche Group, and we believe we are the best strategic partner to capitalise 
on Ventana\u8217?s potential. Our compelling, all-cash proposal and attractive premium recognise both the 
value created by Ventana to date and its future prospects. We hope that Ventana\u8217?s Board and management 
will commence discussions with us to effect a negotiated transaction."\line \line Roche 
has made multiple efforts to engage in meaningful discussions with Ventana\u8217?s Chairman and Board concerning 
a negotiated transaction; however, as Ventana has so far declined to enter transaction discussions, 
Roche has decided to commence a tender offer. Roche remains willing to discuss a negotiated transaction 
agreed to by both parties, as this continues to be Roche\u8217?s preferred option.\line \line Severin 
Schwan, CEO Division Roche Diagnostics, said: "Our combined company will be uniquely positioned 
to develop 
companion diagnostics which enable the identification of patient responses to treatments, thereby offering 
more cost-efficient, differentiated and targeted medicines to patients. Roche's leadership in oncology 
and molecular biology, our strong global market position and broad sales and marketing reach, and our 
distinctive diagnostics capabilities in IT, workflow automation and test standardisation make us the 
ideal partner for Ventana. Together, we have an exceptional opportunity to rapidly create further value 
for patients, customers, employees and shareholders through an expanded, global diagnostics platform 
for tissue analysis."\line \line Ventana\u8217?s leadership in tissue-based testing 
will 
broaden and complement Roche\u8217?s leading in- vitro diagnostic and Life Science businesses (Molecular Diagnostics, 
Immunodiagnostics, Clinical Chemistry). Ventana employs around 950 people and reached sales of 238.2 
million US dollars in 2006. The 1 billion US dollar tissue-based testing market is growing at 10% annually, 
twice the rate of the overall in-vitro diagnostics market. Key growth drivers in this market include 
test automation and standardisation, the increasing incidence of cancer, and the increasing number of 
targeted cancer drugs requiring companion diagnostics. This transaction will position Roche with the 
most comprehensive diagnostic portfolio for enabling development and commercialisation of personalised 
healthcare solutions in oncology. \line \line Roche will operate Ventana as a dedicated 
business within the Roche Diagnostics Division, and will retain Ventana\u8217?s headquarters in Tucson, Arizona. 
Severin Schwan continued: "We are highly impressed with Ventana\u8217?s scientific and commercial accomplishments 
and we believe their world-class management and employees will be an excellent addition to Roche. By 
keeping Ventana as a dedicated business within Diagnostics, we aim to maintain and further develop the 
entrepreneurial spirit that has contributed to Ventana\u8217?s success to date."\line \line Roche 
will promptly commence a tender offer to purchase all of the outstanding common stock of Ventana for 
75 US dollars per share in cash. The complete terms and conditions of the offer will be filed with the 
U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. The offer will be subject to customary conditions, including 
the tender of a majority of Ventana\u8217?s shares of common stock, on a fully diluted basis and Ventana\u8217?s 
Board taking all necessary actions to make its shareholder rights plan inapplicable to Roche\u8217?s offer. 
The Roche proposal is a fully financed, all-cash transaction, with no significant anticipated regulatory 
hurdles to completion. \line Greenhill & Co. and Citi are acting as financial 
advisors to Roche and Davis Polk & Wardwell is acting as legal counsel.\line \line {\b Analyst/Investor 
conference call/webcast}  \line Roche will be discussing the proposed transaction with 
analysts and investors on a conference call at 8:00 a.m. Eastern Daylight Time / 2:00 p.m. Central European 
Time tomorrow. The conference call can be accessed by dialling +41 (0) 91 610 5600 (Europe), +44 (0) 
207 107 0611 (UK) and +1 (1) 866 291 4166 (USA). A webcast of the conference call and a presentation 
containing additional information will be available on the Roche website at www.roche.com/investors (http://ir.roche.com). 
A replay of the conference call will be available one hour after the conference call for 48 hrs and 
can be accessed by dialling +41 91 612 4330 (Europe), +44 207 108 6233 (UK) and +1 866 416 2558 (USA) 
and entering the ID 313 followed by the # sign. The webcast will also be archived on the Roche website.\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 people worldwide and has R&D agreements and strategic 
alliances with numerous partners, including majority ownership interests in Genentech and Chugai. \line \line Roche\u8217?s 
Diagnostics Division offers a uniquely broad product portfolio and supplies a wide array of innovative 
testing products and services to researchers, physicians, patients, hospitals and laboratories world-wide.\line \line Roche 
commenced operations in the U.S. over 100 years ago and these operations include research and development 
centres that conduct leading-edge work in advancing disease detection and treatment. Our diagnostics 
and pharmaceuticals businesses in the U.S. employ more than 20,000 people and generate approximately 
10 billion US dollars in sales (including Genentech), accounting for about 40% of the Roche Group's 
global annual revenues.\line \line For further information, please visit 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 Further 
information} \line - All documents on the offer to Ventana\u8217?s shareholders: www.roche.com/info070625 (http://www.roche.com/pages/downloads/company/information070625.html) 
\line \line \line \line \line DISCLAIMER: CAUTIONARY 
STATEMENT REGARDING 
FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS\line THIS DOCUMENT CONTAINS CERTAIN FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS. 
THESE FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS MAY BE IDENTIFIED BY WORDS SUCH AS \u8216?BELIEVES\u8217?, \u8216?EXPECTS\u8217?, \u8216?ANTICIPATES\u8217?, 
\u8216?PROJECTS\u8217?, \u8216?INTENDS\u8217?, \u8216?SHOULD\u8217?, \u8216?SEEKS\u8217?, \u8216?ESTIMATES\u8217?, \u8216?FUTURE\u8217? OR SIMILAR EXPRESSIONS OR BY DISCUSSION 
OF, AMONG OTHER THINGS, STRATEGY, GOALS, PLANS OR INTENTIONS. VARIOUS FACTORS MAY CAUSE ACTUAL RESULTS 
TO DIFFER MATERIALLY IN THE FUTURE FROM THOSE REFLECTED IN FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS CONTAINED IN THIS 
DOCUMENT, AMONG OTHERS: (1) PRICING AND PRODUCT INITIATIVES OF COMPETITORS; (2) LEGISLATIVE AND REGULATORY 
DEVELOPMENTS AND ECONOMIC CONDITIONS; (3) DELAY OR INABILITY IN OBTAINING REGULATORY APPROVALS OR BRINGING 
PRODUCTS TO MARKET; (4) FLUCTUATIONS IN CURRENCY EXCHANGE RATES AND GENERAL FINANCIAL MARKET CONDITIONS; 
(5) UNCERTAINTIES IN THE DISCOVERY, DEVELOPMENT OR MARKETING OF NEW PRODUCTS OR NEW USES OF EXISTING 
PRODUCTS, INCLUDING WITHOUT LIMITATION NEGATIVE RESULTS OF CLINICAL TRIALS OR RESEARCH PROJECTS, UNEXPECTED 
SIDE-EFFECTS OF PIPELINE OR MARKETED PRODUCTS; (6) INCREASED GOVERNMENT PRICING PRESSURES; (7) INTERRUPTIONS 
IN PRODUCTION; (8) LOSS OF OR INABILITY TO OBTAIN ADEQUATE PROTECTION FOR INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY RIGHTS; 
(9) LITIGATION; (10) LOSS OF KEY EXECUTIVES OR OTHER EMPLOYEES; AND (11) ADVERSE PUBLICITY AND NEWS 
COVERAGE. THE STATEMENT REGARDING EARNINGS PER SHARE GROWTH IS NOT A PROFIT FORECAST AND SHOULD NOT 
BE INTERPRETED TO MEAN THAT ROCHE\u8217?S EARNINGS OR EARNINGS PER SHARE FOR ANY CURRENT OR FUTURE PERIOD 
WILL NECESSARILY MATCH OR EXCEED THE HISTORICAL PUBLISHED EARNINGS OR EARNINGS PER SHARE OF ROCHE.\line \line ADDITIONAL 
INFORMATION AND WHERE TO FIND IT\line THE TENDER OFFER DESCRIBED IN THIS PRESS RELEASE HAS 
NOT YET COMMENCED, AND THIS PRESS RELEASE IS NEITHER AN OFFER TO PURCHASE NOR A SOLICITATION OF AN OFFER 
TO SELL VENTANA COMMON STOCK. THE SOLICITATION AND OFFER TO BUY VENTANA COMMON STOCK WILL ONLY BE MADE 
PURSUANT TO AN OFFER TO PURCHASE AND RELATED MATERIALS THAT ROCHE INTENDS TO FILE PROMPTLY. INVESTORS 
AND SECURITY HOLDERS ARE URGED TO READ THESE MATERIALS CAREFULLY WHEN THEY BECOME AVAILABLE SINCE THEY 
WILL CONTAIN IMPORTANT INFORMATION, INCLUDING THE TERMS AND CONDITIONS OF THE OFFER. THE OFFER TO PURCHASE 
AND RELATED MATERIALS WILL BE FILED BY ROCHE WITH THE SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION (SEC), AND 
INVESTORS AND SECURITY HOLDERS MAY OBTAIN A FREE COPY OF THESE MATERIALS (WHEN AVAILABLE) AND OTHER 
DOCUMENTS FILED BY ROCHE WITH THE SEC AT THE WEBSITE MAINTAINED BY THE SEC AT WWW.SEC.GOV. THE OFFER 
TO PURCHASE AND RELATED MATERIALS MAY ALSO BE OBTAINED (WHEN AVAILABLE) FOR FREE BY CONTACTING THE INFORMATION 
AGENT FOR THE TENDER OFFER, MACKENZIE PARTNERS AT + 1 212 929-5500 OR +1 800 322-2885 (TOLL-FREE).\line {\pard\f0\li0\ri0\sa360\sl360\fs22 \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}
}