Media Release

Basel, 14 September 2006

Roche development plans: a clear commitment to the Basel site

New office high-rise and new research and development building are next site development moves

Today at a media conference Roche unveiled its plans for the further development of its headquarters in Basel. To bring those employees back to the Wettstein headquarters who are currently spread out among the various other Basel sites, Roche is planning a new office high-rise building (Building 1) that will accommodate some 2,400 workplaces. In addition, an older laboratory building no longer in use will be replaced by a new research and development building (Building 97). The two projects, designed by the Basel architectural office of Herzog & de Meuron, will cost a total of 800 million Swiss francs.

Matthias M. Baltisberger, Head of Roche Basel: ‘Roche has created some 1,000 new jobs in Basel in recent years. This positive growth, the age of several buildings, and the additional need for and demands placed on laboratories, manufacturing facilities and offices compel us to make more compact use of our site and to build higher. That is the only way to create the space we need for the large number of workplaces.’

The ongoing development of Roche Basel remains based on a plan that guarantees maximum flexibility and thus the ability of Roche to meet its steadily changing needs. According to this plan, corporate and global functions will be primarily situated south of Grenzacherstrasse and research and manufacturing units, mainly to the north. Maintaining its tradition of high quality and internationally renowned industrial architecture remains a top priority at Roche with respect to all new buildings.

The southern perimeter of Roche Basel / Building 1
Building 1, which will accommodate 2,400 new workplaces on a gross floor area measuring 75,000 square meters, will be constructed on the southern perimeter of the site (between the Rhine and Grenzacherstrasse). This new building will make it possible for the roughly 2,000 Roche employees at various off-site workplaces to return to headquarters. Building 1 will cost roughly 550 million Swiss francs and could be completed by 2011. The architects worked closely with city planning officials to create a visual design that integrates the new high-rise aesthetically within the urban landscape.

The northern perimeter of Roche Basel / Building 97
Building 97, a new research and development facility that will replace an older facility on Wettsteinallee, is planned on the northern perimeter of the Basel site (between Grenzacherstrasse and Wettsteinallee). Construction work is expected to be completed in 2010 at a cost of roughly 250 million Swiss francs.

About Roche
Headquartered in Basel, Switzerland, Roche is one of the world’s leading research-focused healthcare groups in the fields of pharmaceuticals and diagnostics. As a supplier of innovative products and services for the early detection, prevention, diagnosis and treatment of disease, the Group contributes on a broad range of fronts to improving people’s health and quality of life. Roche is a world leader in diagnostics, the leading supplier of medicines for cancer and transplantation and a market leader in virology. Roche employs some 70,000 people in 150 countries. In addition to its active involvement in humanitarian projects, Roche has a long history of supporting the arts, particularly modern classical music and modern visual arts. Mario Botta’s Museum Tinguely in Basel, the intercontinental contemporary music project Roche Commissions, and Roche’n’Jazz are three examples of Roche’s cultural engagement. Additional information about the Roche Group is available on the Internet (www.roche.com).

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