"Am I Number 12?" - Bankkaufmann

Basel, Switzerland (ots/PRNewswire) -

- Roche Supports Patient Groups and International Health Bodies
to Call for Increased Resources to Fight Viral Hepatitis - a Major
Global Killer

A staggering one in 12 people globally are estimated to be
infected with chronic hepatitis B or C - this equates to around 500
million people worldwide.(1,2) What is even more alarming is that in
some European countries up to 98% of people infected with viral
hepatitis and have not been diagnosed and are unaware that they have
the infection.(3)

In response to such worrying statistics, the first global World
Hepatitis Day on 19 May 2008 sees the World Hepatitis Alliance (WHA),
international health and patient groups and campaign sponsors, such
as Roche, coming together to raise awareness of the staggering global
impact of viral hepatitis. At a press briefing on World Hepatitis Day
in Geneva, the WHA urged us all to consider the possibility - 'Am I
Number 12?' This figure reflects the staggering proportion of the
world's population unknowingly infected with this indiscriminative
disease and is a figure which puts it on the same platform as
HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria.

"Roche is proud to support World Hepatitis Day as part of the
first integrated global effort to raise awareness of viral
hepatitis," said Rob Mitchell, Head of Viral Diseases Strategic
Marketing at Roche. "As an innovative pharmaceutical company, our
primary focus is on advancing the science and treatment of hepatitis
B and C. We also view participation in efforts to increase
recognition of the urgent need to prevent and diagnose viral
hepatitis among those at risk as a core component of our commitment."

Are you at risk?

People who have been exposed to any of the following risk factors
for viral hepatitis C should request a hepatitis C blood test from a
physician.

This includes anyone who:
- Has tattoos or body piercings
- Had a blood transfusion before screening was introduced (before
1992 in most countries)
- Shared equipment for injecting drugs or cocaine straws/bank notes
- Had medical or dental interventions in countries where equipment
is not adequately sterilised
- Had needle stick injuries (especially emergency services and
healthcare workers)
- Shared a toothbrush or a razor (very low to medium risk)

"The World Hepatitis Alliance has been formed to provide a voice
for the 500 million people around the world affected by chronic viral
hepatitis B and C," said Charles Gore, President of the World
Hepatitis Alliance. "Hepatitis currently has the same low levels of
awareness as HIV/AIDS did in the 1980s and on this first World
Hepatitis Day, we hope governments and policy makers will take urgent
action to tackle the chronic viral hepatitis B and C epidemic."

About World Hepatitis Day

World Hepatitis Day is being observed on Monday 19 May and marks
a brand new, entirely patient-led initiative. The day has been
launched in response to the concern that chronic viral hepatitis has
nowhere near the level of awareness nor the political will to tackle
it that is seen in HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria. This is
despite the fact that the numbers chronically infected with, and
annually killed by, hepatitis B and C viruses are on the same scale.

About the World Hepatitis Alliance

World Hepatitis Day is being coordinated by the World Hepatitis
Alliance, a newly established Non-Governmental Organisation which
represents more than 200 hepatitis B and hepatitis C patient groups
from around the world. The World Hepatitis Alliance is governed by a
representative board of patient groups from seven world regions:
Europe, Eastern Mediterranean, North Africa, North America, South
America, Australasia & Western Pacific. For more information visit
http://www.worldhepatitisday.comon Monday 19 May.

About Hepatitis C

The hepatitis C virus (HCV) is transmitted primarily through
blood or blood products. HCV chronically affects 130 million people
worldwide, which makes it over four times more prevalent than
HIV.(2,4) It is a leading cause of cirrhosis, liver cancer and liver
failure, despite the fact that many patients can be cured.

About Hepatitis B

Chronic hepatitis B is such a serious global healthcare problem
that it is estimated that more than 350 million people worldwide are
chronically infected with the disease.(1) It is one of the principal
causes of chronic liver disease, cirrhosis, and primary liver
cancer.(1) Approximately one million people die from chronic
hepatitis B annually, making it the tenth leading cause of death
worldwide. For those chronically infected, the immediate aim of
treatment is remission of liver disease to prevent progression to
cirrhosis, liver failure, and primary liver cancer.(1)

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 the world'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'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 2007 sales by the Pharmaceuticals
Division totalled 36.8 billion Swiss francs, and the Diagnostics
Division posted sales of 9.3 billion Swiss francs. Roche has R&D
agreements and strategic alliances with numerous partners, including
majority ownership interests in Genentech and Chugai, and invested
over 8 billion Swiss francs in R&D in 2007. Worldwide, the Group
employs about 79,000 people. Additional information is available on
the Internet at http://www.roche.com.

Notes to Editors:

Hope - Now and in the Future

There are now very good reasons to get tested for viral hepatitis
as treatment options have greatly improved over the last few years.
For patients with hepatitis C, the drug PEGASYS(R) (pegylated
interferon alfa-2a (40KD)) can lead to cure rates as high as 84% in
some patient populations.(5) Additional studies are underway to
evaluate Pegasys plus COPEGUS(R) (ribavirin) in patients who do not
achieve high cure rates with current treatment protocols. These
include major, multi-national trials such as PROGRESS, CHARIOT and
NCORE.

Pegasys is also the only pegylated interferon to be approved for
the treatment of chronic hepatitis B in over 60 countries. Unlike
nucleoside/nucleotide analogue treatments for hepatitis B, Pegasys
works by fighting the disease in two ways: by boosting the immune
system and at the same time, directly attacking the virus. This can
enable the body to gain enduring control over the virus without the
need for long lasting therapy.

In addition, Roche's pipeline offers the promise of exciting new
developments for the treatment of hepatitis. "Direct antiviral"
treatments for hepatitis C may increase cure rates and shorten the
length of treatment. R1626, a polymerase inhibitor that was
discovered and developed internally at Roche, is the most advanced in
its class. Roche has also engaged in several important research
partnerships with biotechnology companies, including a collaboration
with Pharmasset, Inc. to develop R7128 (a polymerase inhibitor) and
with InterMune, Inc. to develop R7227 (a protease inhibitor).

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References:

1. Lavanchy D. Hepatitis B virus epidemiology, disease burden,
treatment, and current and emerging prevention and control measures.
J Viral Hepat 2004;11:97-107.

2. World Health Organization. Initiative for Vaccine Research,
Viral Cancers, Hepatitis C. 2006. (Accessed July 24, 2006, at http://
www.who.int/vaccine_research/diseases/viral_cancers/en/index2.html.)

3. Eurasian Harm Reduction Network (EHRN). Comparative analysis
of HCV prevalence across selected countries of Europe and the
Mediterranean area; 1 October 2007.

4. AIDS Epidemic Update. 2006. (Accessed October 26, 2007, at
http://www.who.int/hiv/mediacentre/2006_EpiUpdate_en.pdf.)

5. Hadziyannis SJ, Sette H, Jr., Morgan TR, et al.
Peginterferon-alpha2a and ribavirin combination therapy in chronic
hepatitis C: a randomized study of treatment duration and ribavirin
dose. Ann Intern Med 2004;140:346-55.

For more information, please contact:
Mike Nelson, Roche,
International Communications Manager,
+41-795-72-5165;
Michelle Marchione,
Axon Communications,
+44(0)20-8439-9449.

ots Originaltext: Roche Pharmaceuticals
Im Internet recherchierbar: http://www.presseportal.de

Contact:
For more information, please contact: Mike Nelson, Roche,
International Communications Manager, +41-795-72-5165; Michelle
Marchione, Axon Communications, +44(0)20-8439-9449.