Avastin(R) Significantly Prolongs Progression Free Survival in Advanced Kidney Cancer

Chicago (ots/PRNewswire) -

- Patients Have a Chance to Live Almost Twice as Long Without
Their Disease Returning

Adding Avastin (bevacizumab) to interferon offers patients with
advanced renal cell cancer the chance to live twice as long without
their disease advancing ("progression free survival") compared with
interferon alone. This is according to results from the pivotal phase
III AVOREN trial presented today for the first time at the 43rd
annual meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) in
Chicago.

The results of the AVOREN trial showed that by adding Avastin to
interferon, a current standard of care in advanced renal cell cancer:

- Progression free survival was almost doubled from a median of
5.4 to 10.2 months

- Tumour response was significantly increased from 12.8% with
interferon alone to 31.4% when Avastin was added to the treatment
regimen

"These results are significant because there is a real need for
more effective treatments in advanced kidney cancer, where
chemotherapy and radiotherapy are not as effective as in other
cancers" said Professor Bernard Escudier, Head of Immunotherapy and
Innovative Therapy Unit, Institut Gustave-Roussy, Paris, France and
Principal Investigator of the study. "Avastin has been shown to be
efficacious and well tolerated and is an important new treatment
option in the fight against this cancer"

The study also showed a trend towards improved overall survival;
however, the overall survival data are still pending. No new or
unexpected adverse events were observed.

On an annual basis, in excess of 200,000 people worldwide will
receive a diagnosis of kidney cancer and more than 100,000 people
worldwide will lose their lives to the disease.(i) These figures can
be expected to increase as the number of people suffering from cancer
rises 50%, as recently estimated by the WHO.(ii) Roche submitted a
Marketing Authorisation Application (MAA) to the European Medicines
Evaluation Agency (EMEA) based on the landmark AVOREN study in April
2007.

About AVOREN

The AVOREN study is a randomised, controlled, double-blind Phase
III study that included 649 patients from 101 study sites across 18
countries. In the study patients received treatment with either
Avastin and interferon alpha-2a or placebo and interferon alpha-2a, a
standard of care in advanced kidney cancer.

The primary endpoint of the study was to demonstrate overall
survival when Avastin was added to interferon alpha-2a therapy. The
study protocol specified an interim overall survival analysis be
performed at approximately 50 percent of events. Secondary endpoints
included progression free survival (PFS), time to progression, time
to treatment failure, overall response rate and safety profile. A
final progression-free survival analysis was specified in the
Statistical Analysis Plan to occur at the time of an interim overall
survival analysis and was presented at the ASCO 2007 conference.

The benefits of Avastin shown during the trial were so positive
that based on earlier interim results in December 2006, the Drug
Safety Monitoring Board (DSMB) recommended that the trial was
unblinded and all patients were offered treatment with Avastin. The
study demonstrated, for the first time that Avastin also benefits
patients in combination with an immunotherapeutic.

In the US, in prior consultation with the FDA, the primary
analysis endpoint of the AVOREN study was revised to assess
improvement in PFS, defined as the length of time the tumour did not
grow or patient death did not occur.

About Kidney Cancer

Kidney cancer is more common in men than women (approximately 62%
of renal cell carcinoma occurs in males) and incidence increases with
age(i,ii).

Renal cell carcinoma (RCC) is the most common type of kidney
cancer, accounting for nine out of ten cases. Within this cancer
type, there are several 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 - 75%. 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%(iii). Unfortunately, because kidney cancer is often
asymptomatic, the majority of patients are diagnosed at later disease
stages.

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.

About Avastin

Avastin is the first treatment that inhibits angiogenesis - the
growth of a network of blood vessels that supply nutrients and oxygen
to cancerous tissues. Avastin targets a naturally occurring protein
called VEGF (Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor), 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).

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.

Roche and Genentech are pursuing a comprehensive clinical
programme investigating the use of Avastin in various tumour types
(including colorectal, breast, lung, pancreatic cancer, ovarian
cancer, renal cell carcinoma and others) and different settings
(advanced and adjuvant ie post-operation). The total development
programme is expected to include over 40,000 patients worldwide.

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 diagnostics and
drugs for cancer and transplantation, a market leader in virology and
active in other major therapeutic areas such as autoimmune diseases,
inflammation, metabolism and 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 employs roughly 75,000 worldwide and has R&D agreements and
strategic alliances with numerous partners, including majority
ownership interests in Genentech and Chugai. Additional information
about the Roche Group is available on the Internet at www.roche.com.

All trademarks used or mentioned in this release are protected by
law.

Additional information

- Roche in Oncology:
www.roche.com/pages/downloads/company/pdf/mboncology05e_b.pdf

- Roche Health Kiosk, Cancer: www.health-kiosk.ch/start_krebs

- Avastin: www.avastin-info.com

References

(i) Parkin DM, Bray F, Ferlay J and Pisani P. Global cancer
statistics 2002. CA Cancer J Clin 2005; 55; 74 - 108.

(ii) WHO Information sheet on cancer
http://www.who.int/dietphysicalactivity/publications/facts/cancer/en/
(accessed 24th May 2007)

(iii) Medline Plus
www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/000516.htm (accessed on 23rd
October 2006)

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

Contact:
For more information please contact: Roche: Erica Bersin,
+41-61-688-2164 (direct), +41-79-618-7672 (mobile on-site at ASCO);
Galliard Healthcare: Jon Harris, +44-0207-663-2261 (direct)