Largest-Ever Studies on Most Common Form of Adult Leukemia, Show Patients Treated With MabThera Live Longer Without Disease Progressing

Basel, Switzerland, November 24 (ots/PRNewswire) -

FOR NON-UK MEDIA DISTRIBUTION ONLY

- Two Phase III Studies to be Presented at World's Major
Hematology Meeting Prove MabThera's Benefits in Treating Chronic
Lymphocytic Leukemia (CLL)

Roche announced today that full results of the pivotal REACH
trial will be presented as part of the late breaking abstract session
at the forthcoming 50th Annual Meeting of the American Society
Hematology (ASH), in San Francisco. The randomized phase III trial in
patients with relapsed or refractory chronic lymphocytic leukemia
(CLL) successfully met its primary endpoint by showing that patients
treated with MabThera in combination with current standard
chemotherapy were able to significantly extend the amount of time
they lived without their disease progressing, compared to patients
treated with chemotherapy alone.

Results of the REACH trial will follow less than one day after
the presentation of another pivotal Phase III study - CLL8 - which
shows that MabThera can significantly increase the time before the
disease progresses in patients who have not previously received any
other treatment. Together, the two studies provide the strongest
evidence yet of MabThera's potential to treat this devastating form
of blood cancer.

MabThera will be the main attraction at the annual ASH meeting
with more than 270 abstracts being presented covering important
trials investigating its use in the treatment of CLL, follicular
lymphoma, diffuse large B-cell lymphoma, and the bleeding disorder
idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura, among others. The wealth of new
data confirms MabThera as the standard of care in haematological
cancers, where it has already been used to treat over 1.5 million
patients in its existing indications.

Chronic lymphocytic leukemia
Date/Time Abstract Abstract Name
Number
08.12.2008, 325 Immunochemotherapy with Fludarabine (F),
11:00 Cyclophosphamide
(C), and Rituximab (R) (FCR) Versus Fludarabine and
Cyclophosphamide (FC) Improves Response Rates and
Progression-Free Survival (PFS) of Previously
Untreated Patients (pts) with Advanced Chronic
Lymphocytic Leukemia (CLL)
http://ash.confex.com/ash/2008/webprogram/Paper9237.html
09.12.2008, LBA1 Rituximab, Fludarabine, and Cyclophosphamide (R-FC)
07:30 Prolongs Progression Free Survival in Relapsed or
Refractory Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia (CLL)
Compared with FC Alone: Final Results from the
International Randomized Phase III REACH Trial
09.12.2008, 781 Genomic Aberrations, VH Mutation Status and Outcome
08:00 after Fludarabine and Cyclophosphamide (FC) or FC
Plus Rituximab (FCR) in the CLL8 Trial
http://ash.confex.com/ash/2008/webprogram/Paper7815.html
08.12.2008, 326 Quantitative MRD Assessments Predict Progression
11:15 Free Survival in CLL Patients Treated with
Fludarabine and Cyclophosphamide with or without
Rituximab - a Prospective Analysis in 471 Patients
from the Randomized GCLLSG CLL8 Trial
http://ash.confex.com/ash/2008/webprogram/Paper13658.html
08.12.2008, 330 Bendamustine in Combination with Rituximab (BR) for
12:15 Patients with Relapsed Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia
(CLL): A Multicentre Phase II Trial of the German
CLL Study Group (GCLLSG)
http://ash.confex.com/ash/2008/webprogram/Paper5549.html
07.12.2008, 47 Rituximab and High-Dose Methylprednisolone for the
17:30 Initial Treatment of Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia Is
Associated with Promising Clinical Activity and
Minimal Hematologic Toxicity
http://ash.confex.com/ash/2008/webprogram/Paper15428.html
Follicular lymphoma
Date/Time Abstract Abstract Name
Number
09.12.2008, 836 Rituximab Maintenance Treatment of Relapsed /
08:00 Resistant Follicular Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma: Long-
Term Outcome of the EORTC 20981 Phase III Randomized
Intergroup Study
http://ash.confex.com/ash/2008/webprogram/Paper6691.html
07.12.2008 2599 Rituximab in Combination with CHOP in Patients with
(poster Follicular Lymphoma: Analysis of Treatment Outcome
Board of 552 Patients Treated in a Randomized Trial of the
II-693) German Low Grade Lymphoma Study Group (GLSG) after a
Follow up of 58 Months
http://ash.confex.com/ash/2008/webprogram/Paper9511.html
09.12.2008, 773 Autologous Stem Cell Transplantation (auto-SCT) as
08:00 the Treatment of Choice for Follicular Lymphoma
Patients in First Relapse: Final Analysis of the
Outcome of 175 Patients Treated in the GELA/GOELAMS
FL 2000 Study
http://ash.confex.com/ash/2008/webprogram/Paper5180.html
Diffuse large B-cell lymphoma
Date/Time Abstract Abstract Name
Number
09.12.2008, 839 The Addition of Rituximab Eliminates the Negative
08:45 Prognostic Impact of PMBCL Compared to DLBCL in
Young Patients with CD20-Positive Aggressive
Lymphomas Receiving a CHOP-Like Chemotherapy:
Results of a Subgroup Analysis of the Mabthera
International Trial Group (MInT) Study
http://ash.confex.com/ash/2008/webprogram/Paper9714.html
Idiopathic thrombocytic purpura
Date/Time Abstract Abstract Name
Number
07.12.2008, 1 A Prospective Randomized Study Comparing Rituximab
14:00 and Dexamethasone Vs Dexamethasone Alone in ITP:
Results of Final Analysis and Long Term Follow up
http://ash.confex.com/ash/2008/webprogram/Paper8341.html

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, and is a market
leader in virology. It is also active in other major therapeutic
areas such as autoimmune diseases, inflammatory and 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 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 80,000 people. Additional
information is available on the Internet at http://www.roche.com.

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Contact:
For more information, please contact: Peter Bayliss, International
Communications Manager, +41-79-572-51-93, peter.bayliss@roche.com.au