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{\pard\sa900\fs50\f0\i Media Release\par}
{\pard\f0\li0\ri0\sa360\sl360\fs22 Basel, 20 July 2007\line \line {\b Avastin 
receives positive opinion in Europe for first-line treatment of patients with advanced lung cancer} \line First 
medicine shown to extend survival of previously untreated patients beyond one year \line \line Roche 
announced today that the European Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use (CHMP) has issued a 
positive recommendation for the first-line use of Avastin in the treatment of the most common form of 
lung cancer, in combination with platinum based chemotherapy*. The CHMP\u8217?s decision is based on data 
from the pivotal US (E4599) study and another phase III Avastin in Lung (AVAiL) study which together 
demonstrate that Avastin is effective in combination with a broad chemotherapy range. \line \line Lung 
cancer is responsible for over 3,000 deaths per day worldwide{\super 1}  and non-small 
cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is the most common form of the disease accounting for more than 80 percent 
of all lung cancers.{\super 2}  Avastin is the only first-line treatment in over a 
decade that has been shown to extend the life of patients with advanced lung cancer in a disease for 
which patients typically have an average life expectancy of only 8 to 10 months. \line \line "This 
is a significant day for healthcare professionals and patients as it brings access to Avastin, with 
its proven ability to extend life in an extremely difficult to treat disease, one step closer to reality" 
said Professor Christian Manegold, Professor of Medicine, Heidelberg University, University Medical 
Center, Mannheim, Germany and Principal Investigator of the AVAiL study. "I believe that Avastin 
is such an innovative treatment that it will change not only the current standard of care in NSCLC, 
but it will also re-write our expectations for patient outcomes."\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 for colorectal, lung, breast, and kidney cancer patients.\line \line \u8220?The 
CHMP opinion is encouraging news for European patients fighting a particularly aggressive and debilitating 
disease," said William M. Burns, CEO Pharmaceuticals Division of Roche. \u8220?With our Avastin development 
program \u8211? the biggest trial program in oncology ever \u8211? we will continue to develop the best possible 
treatment approaches to increase survival and improve quality of life of cancer patients.\u8221?\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 NSCLC). 
Most recently in April 2007, Avastin was approved in Europe for the first line treatment of women with 
metastatic breast cancer and in Japan for use in advanced or recurrent colorectal cancer.\line \line About 
the Phase III studies that formed part of the data pack submitted to the CHMP\line \line {\b E4599 
study} \line The results of the randomised, controlled, multicentre phase III E4599 study 
of 878 patients with locally advanced, metastatic or recurrent NSCLC, with histology other than predominant 
squamous cell, show that median survival of patients treated with Avastin at a dose of 15 mg/kg every 
three weeks plus chemotherapy was 12.3 months, compared to 10.3 months for patients treated with chemotherapy 
alone. Patients receiving Avastin at a dose of 15 mg/kg every three weeks plus paclitaxel and carboplatin 
had an approximate 27 percent improvement in overall survival, compared to patients who received chemotherapy 
alone. Side effects were generally manageable. Pulmonary haemorrhage (haemoptysis) cases were observed 
in 1.9% of the patients receiving Avastin plus chemotherapy. The most common adverse events associated 
with Avastin monotherapy were: hypertension (5.6%), proteinuria (4.2%), fatigue (5.1%) and dyspnoea 
(5.6%).{\super 3}  \line \line {\b AVAiL study} \line In 
the double-blind, randomised, controlled, phase III AVAiL study, patients received treatment with either 
Avastin at 7.5mg/kg or 15mg/kg + cisplatin/gemcitabine or placebo + cisplatin/gemcitabine. The study 
involved more than 1,000 patients world-wide with previously untreated advanced NSCLC, with histology 
other than predominant squamous cell. The results show that by adding Avastin to a cisplatin/gemcitabine 
regimen progression-free survival was significantly prolonged by 20 \u8211? 30% compared with chemotherapy 
alone. No new or unexpected adverse events were observed. \line \line {\b About 
Lung Cancer} \line According to the World Health Organization (WHO), lung cancer is the 
leading cause of cancer-related deaths in both men and women,{\super 4}  responsible 
for 19.7 percent of all cancer deaths.{\super 5}  \line Lung cancer is the 
single biggest cancer killer in Europe, claiming 334,800 lives in 2006.{\super 5}  
World-wide, there are more than 1.2 million new cases of lung and bronchial cancer diagnosed each year,{\super 4}  
and new treatment options are urgently needed as the disease has a very high mortality rate. \line \line The 
majority of NSCLC cases are still diagnosed at an advanced stage when the cancer is inoperable or has 
already spread to another part of the body. In spite of the use of chemotherapy as the first-line treatment 
option, less than five percent of people with advanced NSCLC survive for five years after diagnosis 
and most die within twelve months.{\super 2} \line \line {\b About 
Avastin} \line Avastin is the first treatment that inhibits angiogenesis \u8211? 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, and others) and different settings (advanced 
and adjuvant i.e. post-operation). The total development programme is expected to include over 40,000 
patients world-wide.\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 {\b Additional 
information} \line - Roche in Oncology (http://www.roche.com/pages/downloads/company/pdf/mboncology05e_b.pdf) \line - Roche 
Health Kiosk, Cancer (http://www.health-kiosk.ch/start_krebs)\line - Avastin (http://www.avastin-info.com)\line \line {\pard\f0\li0\ri0\sa360\sl360\fs18 * 
The positive opinion is for the use of Avastin, in combination with platinum-based chemotherapy, 
for first-line treatment of patients with unresectable advanced, metastatic or recurrent non-small cell 
lung cancer other than predominantly squamous cell histology.\line \par}{\pard\f0\li0\ri0\sa360\sl360\fs18 \line References\line 1. 
Kamangar F, Dores GM, Anderson WF. Patterns of cancer incidence, mortality,and prevalence across five 
continents: defining priorities to reduce cancer disparities in different geographic regions of the 
world. J Clin Oncol 2006; 24(14): 2137\u8211?50.\line 2. Wilking N and Jonsson B. A Pan-European 
comparison regarding patient access to cancer drugs. Karolinska Institute in collaboration with Stockholm 
School of Economics, Stockholm, Sweden, 2005.\line 3. Sandler A et al. Paclitaxel-Carboplatin 
Alone or with Bevacizumab for Non-Small-Cell Lung Cancer. New England Journal of Medicine 2006; 355:2542-50.\line 4. 
Stewart BW and Kleihues P. World Cancer Report. IARC Press, Lyon, pp.183-7, 2003\line 5. Ferlay 
J, et al. Estimates of the cancer incidence and mortality in Europe in 2006. Annals of Oncology. 2007; 
18: 581-92.\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}
}