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{\pard\sa900\fs50\f0\i Media Release\par}
{\pard\f0\li0\ri0\sa360\sl360\fs22 Basel, 26 September 2007\line \line {\b Herceptin 
eradicates 
tumours and may reduce the need for mastectomies in women with inflammatory HER2-positive breast cancer 
\u8211? one of the most aggressive and fastest growing forms of the disease} \line \line New 
data show that the addition of Herceptin (trastuzumab) to chemotherapy 
prior to breast cancer surgery (neoadjuvant therapy) completely eradicates tumours in nearly three times 
as many women with inflammatory HER2-positive breast cancer compared to chemotherapy alone. Inflammatory 
breast cancer is a rare, but highly aggressive form of the disease - the tumours spread quickly, often 
leading to the need for total mastectomies, and it has a worse outlook than other breast cancers. These 
results are particularly significant as treatment with Herceptin in this setting may actually lead to 
more breast conserving surgery and most importantly to potentially improved survival. \line \line \u8220?Once 
again, Herceptin has been shown to deliver meaningful benefits to patients with HER2-positive breast 
cancer,\u8221? said Prof. Dr. med. Wolfgang Eiermann, Medical Director of the Red Cross Women\u8217?s Hospital in 
Munich, Germany. \u8220?Herceptin has been proven to extend lives across the spectrum of HER2-positive disease, 
so these latest findings will be welcome news for the unfortunate few with inflammatory breast cancer, 
which is an especially devastating form of the disease.\u8221? \line \line HER2-positive 
disease is diagnosed in up to 30% of all breast cancer cases.{\super 1}  It demands 
special attention because the tumours are typically fast-growing and there is a high likelihood of relapse. 
Neoadjuvant therapy is administered to patients to help make inoperable tumours shrink and become removable, 
thus promoting breast conserving surgery.\line \line The results from the NeOAdjuvant 
Herceptin (NOAH) study demonstrated that Herceptin plus chemotherapy led to the complete disappearance 
of the tumour in the breast (a pathological complete response to treatment) in nearly three times as 
many patients with inflammatory breast cancer (55% vs. 19%, p=0.004) compared to chemotherapy alone.{\super 2}  
Furthermore, the combination led to complete disappearance of the tumours from both the breast and the 
lymph nodes (a total pathological complete response to treatment) in 48% of patients, compared to only 
13% of those who received chemotherapy alone (p=0.002). The treatment was well tolerated with acceptable 
cardiac safety. The trial is ongoing and event-free survival data are maturing. \line \line {\b About 
the NOAH study} \line NOAH is a phase III trial assessing neoadjuvant Herceptin in combination 
with chemotherapy in patients with HER2-positive locally advanced breast cancer (LABC). Patients were 
assigned to one of two cohorts depending on HER2 status. All patients received neoadjuvant chemotherapy 
before surgery consisting of three cycles of doxorubicin-paclitaxel (AT), four cycles of paclitaxel 
(T) and three cycles of cyclophosphamide / methotrexate / 5-fluorouracil (CMF). Patients with HER2-positive 
disease were randomised to receive concomitant Herceptin for one year or chemotherapy only. \line Out 
of 228 evaluable patients with HER2-positive breast cancer that were included in the study, 61 had inflammatory 
breast cancer (IBC). Of the 99 evaluable patients with HER2-negative breast cancer, 14 had IBC. 31 patients 
with HER2-positive IBC received Herceptin in addition to chemotherapy. \line \line The 
NOAH protocol is a joint effort of Fondazione Michelangelo, Grupo SOLTI and Roche.\line \line {\b About 
breast cancer } \line Breast cancer is the most common cancer among women worldwide.{\super 3}  
Each year more than one million new cases of breast cancer are diagnosed worldwide, and nearly 400,000 
people will die of the disease annually.{\super 4}  \line \line In 
HER2-positive breast cancer, increased quantities of the HER2 protein are present on the surface of 
the tumour cells. This is known as \u8216?HER2-positivity.\u8217? High levels of HER2 are present in a particularly 
aggressive form of the disease which responds poorly to chemotherapy. Research shows that HER2-positivity 
affects approximately 20-30 percent of women with breast cancer. \line \line {\b About 
Herceptin (trastuzumab)} \line Herceptin is a humanised antibody, designed to target and 
block the function of HER2, a protein produced by a specific gene with cancer-causing potential. It 
has demonstrated efficacy in treating both early and advanced (metastatic) breast cancer. Given on its 
own as monotherapy as well as in combination with or following standard chemotherapy, Herceptin has 
been shown to improve response rates, disease-free survival and overall survival while maintaining quality 
of life in women with HER2-positive breast cancer.\line \line Herceptin received 
approval for use in the European Union for advanced (metastatic) HER2-positive breast cancer in 2000, 
and for early HER2-positive breast cancer in 2006. In the advanced setting, Herceptin is now approved 
for use as a first-line therapy in combination with paclitaxel where anthracyclines are unsuitable, 
as first-line therapy in combination with docetaxel, and as a single agent in third-line therapy. It 
is also approved for use in combination with an aromatase inhibitor for the treatment of post-menopausal 
patients with HER2 and hormone receptor co-positive metastatic breast cancer. In the early setting, 
Herceptin is approved for use following standard (adjuvant) chemotherapy. \line \line Herceptin 
is marketed in the United States by Genentech, in Japan by Chugai and internationally by Roche. Since 
1998, Herceptin has been used to treat nearly 400,000 HER2-positive breast cancer 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 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, metabolic disorders and diseases of the 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 has R&D agreements and strategic alliances with numerous 
partners, including majority ownership interests in Genentech and Chugai, and invests approximately 
7 billion Swiss francs a year in R&D. Worldwide, the Group employs about 75,000 people. Additional 
information is available on the Internet at www.roche.com (http://www.roche.com).\line \line \line {\pard\f0\li0\ri0\sa360\sl360\fs18 All 
trademarks used or mentioned in this release are protected by law.\line \line 1) 
Harries M, Smith I. The development and clinical use of trastuzumab (Herceptin). Endocr Relat Cancer 
9: 75-85, 2002.\line 2) Baselga J, et al., Efficacy of Neoadjuvant Trastuzumab in Patients 
With Inflammatory Breast Cancer: Data From the NOAH (NEOADJUVANT HERCEPTIN) Phase III Trial. Abstract 
#2030. ECCO Meeting 2007.\line 3) World Health Organization, http://www.who.int/cancer/detection/breastcancer/en/ 
\line 4) Ferlay J, et al., GLOBOCAN 2002. Cancer Incidence, Mortality and Prevalence Worldwide. 
IARC CancerBase No.5, Version 2.0. IARCPress, Lyon, 2004. 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}
}