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{\pard\sa900\fs50\f0\i Media Release\par}
{\pard\f0\li0\ri0\sa360\sl360\fs22 Basel, 19 December 2007\line \line {\b Avastin 
approved in Europe for first-line treatment of patients with advanced kidney cancer} \line Avastin 
offers patients the chance to live twice as long without their disease advancing\line \line Avastin 
(bevacizumab), Roche\u8217?s 
innovative anti-cancer drug, was approved today in Europe for the first-line treatment of patients with 
advanced renal cell cancer (RCC) in combination with interferon (IFN), the current standard 
of care{\super 1} . Kidney cancer, known as renal cell carcinoma (RCC) is a disease 
that kills over 100,000 people per year world-\line wide{\super 2} . \line \line There 
are few early symptoms in kidney cancer which means that unfortunately the majority of patients are 
diagnosed with advanced disease, where current treatment options are limited. Kidney 
cancer is highly resistant to chemotherapy and radiotherapy, which are often key weapons against other 
cancer types{\super 3} . \line \line The approval was based on 
data from the pivotal phase III AVOREN trial, which showed that patients with advanced RCC who received 
Avastin in combination with IFN lived nearly twice as long without their disease progressing 
(\u8220?progression free survival\u8221?), as those who received IFN alone. \line \line \u8220?Today\u8217?s 
approval by European health authorities is a significant step forward in the treatment of advanced renal 
cell cancer. Avastin effectively doubles the time in which patients live without their 
disease getting worse, so this approval has the potential to change the treatment landscape for this 
disease, where treatment options have been limited\u8221? said William M. Burns, CEO of Roche\u8217?s 
Pharmaceutical Division.\line \line {\b Avastin Approval Status} \line Kidney 
cancer is the fourth cancer type in which Avastin has demonstrated positive survival benefits for patients. 
Data from the comprehensive Avastin cancer clinical development programme have resulted 
in approvals in advanced colorectal, breast, lung, and now kidney cancer:\par}{\pard\f0\li440\ri0\sl360\fs22 - February 
2004 (US) and January 2005 (EU) \u8211? first-line treatment in patients with metastatic colorectal cancer 
(CRC)\par}{\pard\f0\li440\ri0\sl360\fs22 - June 2006 (US) \u8211? second-line treatment in patients with metastatic 
CRC\par}{\pard\f0\li440\ri0\sl360\fs22 - October 2006 (US) \u8211? first-line treatment in patients with advanced 
non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) \par}{\pard\f0\li440\ri0\sl360\fs22 - March 2007 (EU) \u8211? first-line 
treatment in patients with metastatic breast cancer\par}{\pard\f0\li440\ri0\sl360\fs22 - April 2007 
(Japan) \u8211? treatment in patients with recurrent or advanced CRC\par}{\pard\f0\li440\ri0\sl360\fs22 - August 
2007 (EU) \u8211? first-line treatment in patients with advanced NSCLC\par}{\pard\f0\li440\ri0\sl360\fs22 - December 
2007 (EU) \u8211? first-line treatment in patients with advanced RCC\par}\line {\pard\f0\li0\ri0\sa360\sl360\fs22 {\b About 
the AVOREN Study} \line The AVOREN study is a randomised, controlled, double-blind, phase 
III study that included 649 patients with advanced kidney cancer from 101 study sites across 18 countries. 
Study participants received treatment with either Avastin and IFN alpha-2a or placebo and IFN alpha-2a, 
the standard of care in patients with advanced kidney cancer.\line \line The 
results of the AVOREN trial showed that by adding Avastin to IFN: \par}{\pard\f0\li440\ri0\sl360\fs22 - Progression 
free survival (PFS) was almost doubled from a median of 5.4 to 10.2 months\par}{\pard\f0\li440\ri0\sl360\fs22 - Tumour 
response was significantly increased from 12.8% with IFN alone to 31.4% when Avastin was added\par}{\pard\f0\li440\ri0\sl360\fs22 - Dose-reduction 
of IFN did not appear to affect the efficacy of the combination with Avastin (based on PFS event free 
rates over time, as shown by a sub-\line group analysis)\par}\line {\pard\f0\li0\ri0\sa360\sl360\fs22 The 
study also showed a trend towards improved overall survival; however, these data are still pending. 
No new or unexpected adverse events were observed. \line \line An interim analysis 
of AVOREN was performed in December 2006 and the benefits provided by Avastin were so positive that 
the Drug Safety Monitoring Board recommended that the trial was unblinded and all patients 
were offered treatment with Avastin. The study demonstrated for the first time that Avastin benefits 
patients in combination with an immunotherapeutic, the class of drugs to which IFN belongs.\line \line {\b About 
Kidney Cancer} \line Kidney cancer is more common in men than women (approximately 62% 
of patients with kidney cancer are men) and incidence increases with age{\super 2} .\line \line As 
the most common type of kidney cancer, RCC accounts for approximately nine out of ten cases of the disease{\super 4} . 
Within this cancer type, there are several sub-types of cancer based on looking at the 
cells under a microscope. Clear cell renal cell cancer is the most common type. If RCC is diagnosed 
at an early stage when the cancer is still confined to the kidney, the 5-year survival 
rates are relatively good at 60 to 75%{\super 5} . However, if diagnosis is made at 
a later stage and the cancer has already spread to distant sites the 5-year survival 
rate is less than 5%5. Unfortunately, because kidney cancer is often asymptomatic, the majority of patients 
are diagnosed at later disease stages.\line \line Treatment options 
for patients with kidney cancer are limited. Surgical removal of part or the entire kidney forms the 
mainstay of treatment but is only really successful in early stage disease. In later 
stage disease, treatment is more often employed with a view of controlling the cancer and improving 
associated symptoms. \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 vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), 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 Avastin has now demonstrated a progression-free 
and/or overall survival benefit for patients in four cancer types, namely: colorectal, breast, lung, 
and renal cell cancer. \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, ovarian, renal cell cancer, and others) and different 
settings (advanced and adjuvant i.e. post-operation). The total development programme is expected to 
include over 40,000 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 {\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 To 
access video clips about Avastin in broadcast 
standard free of charge, please go to: www.thenewsmarket.com (http://www.thenewsmarket.com/roche). \line \line {\pard\f0\li0\ri0\sa360\sl360\fs18 1. 
The approval is for the use of Avastin in patients with advanced and/or metastatic RCC in combination 
with IFN.\line 2. Parkin DM, Bray F, Ferlay J and Pisani P. Global cancer statistics 2002. 
CA Cancer J Clin, 2005; 55: 74-108.\line 3. De Mulder, PHM. Targeted therapy in metastatic 
renal cell carcinoma. Ann Oncol, 2007; 18 (Supplement 9): ix98\u8211?ix102.\line 4. Karumanchi, 
SA, et al. Renal cancer: molecular mechanisms and newer therapeutic options. Curr Opin Nephrol Hypertens, 
2002; 11: 37-42.\line 5. Medline Plus http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/000516.htm#Causes,\line %20incidence,%20and%20risk%20factors 
(accessed 20 November 2007).\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}
}