New Data Show Xenical(R) Significantly Reduces Cardiovascular Risk and More Than Doubles Weight Loss Achieved in Overweight and Obese People

The weight loss medication Xenical(R) (orlistat 120mg) significantly reduces weight and improves cardiovascular risk factors such as blood pressure, glycaemic control and lipid profile in overweight and obese people with type 2 diabetes and hypertension, according to a study analysis presented at the European Congress on Obesity (ECO), Budapest, Hungary.(1)

This analysis strengthens the wealth of data already established for Xenical that demonstrates that not only does it lead to significant weight loss, it also has remarkable benefits in reducing the risk of cardiovascular disease and diabetes, two of the world's most serious health conditions. According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), around 1.6 billion adults worldwide are overweight, and at least 400 million adults are obese.(2) Excess weight is associated with a number of life-threatening health

consequences, including:

-- Cardiovascular disease -- the world's number one cause of death,

killing 17 million people each year.(2) Hypertension is a major risk

factor for cardiovascular disease.(3)

overweight.(4) WHO projects that diabetes deaths will increase by more

than 50% worldwide in the next 10 years(5)

"We know that the incidence of type 2 diabetes and hypertension rises steeply with increasing body weight," said Professor Iain Broom, Department of Clinical Biochemistry and Metabolic Medicine, Grampian University Hospitals NHS Trust, UK and study lead. "These results support the use of Xenical to achieve substantial weight loss, and to improve cardiovascular health and manage independent risk factors in overweight and obese people."

The study analysis involved 2,692 overweight and obese people. Patients with high cardiovascular risk (type 2 diabetes and hypertension), and treated with Xenical vs. placebo demonstrated significant improvements in:

vs. -3.11 mmHg, p=NS). 15.3% of patients treated with Xenical returned

to normal blood pressure vs. 8.7% receiving placebo (p<0.05)

7.32% vs. 1.98%, p<0.0001)

Xenical patients more than doubled their weight loss vs. placebo (-4.83kg vs. -1.49kg, p<0.0001), which was also reflected in reduced waistcircumference (-5.20cm vs. -1.98cm, p<0.0001).

In patients who responded early to treatment (>/= 5% weight loss at 3 months)*, Xenical produced even greater changes in blood pressure (SBP/DBP: -13.16/-7.83 mmHg), HbA1c (-0.84%), insulin (-38.72 pmol/l), fasting glucose (-1.92 mmol/l) and weight (-9.61kg) vs. placebo. Blood pressure normalisationwas more than two-fold greater with Xenical vs. placebo (24.2% vs. 10.5%).

Data from two additional study analyses presented at ECO also confirm Xenical's role in reducing cardiovascular risk:

Xenical experienced greater reductions in weight, waist circumference

and lipid levels vs. placebo. 48% of patients treated with Xenical

returned to normal blood pressure levels vs. 40.2% of placebo

patients(6).

syndrome (based on NCEP ATP III criteria). Of particular note was the

large improvement in LDL cholesterol with Xenical vs. placebo after one

year (-7.5% vs. 5.3%, p<0.0001)(7)

Notes to Editors:

* = Xenical European label

About Xenical(R) (orlistat 120 mg)

Xenical is the only available weight loss medication that works locally in the gut to prevent dietary fat absorption by around 30% to effectively promote weight loss. The efficacy and safety of Xenical has been proven in an extensive clinical trials programme, with over 100 Phase III/IV trials, in over 30,000 patients. Xenical is the most extensively studied weight loss medication in the world, and the only weight loss drug studied up to 4 years.(8) People can lose up to twice as much weight with Xenical compared to

For further information please go to: www.managingyourweight.com

About Xenical Weight Management Programmes

Roche has developed Xenical Weight Management Programmes (WMPs) for healthcare professionals to use with their patients. The programme aims to help patients set and reach realistic weight goals while modifying their dietary intake and behaviour in the long-term. The programmes are individually tailored to help people achieve their weight loss goals, and maintain weight

Roche provides free patient support programmes in around 50 countries worldwide to help people taking Xenical. Recent data demonstrated that patients enrolled in Xenical WMPs can significantly improve the levels of weight loss achieved and can increase their overall satisfaction and compliance with treatment.

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

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

References:

improves blood pressure, glycaemic control and lipid profile in

obese/overweight patients with type 2 diabetes and hypertension.

Poster presented at the 15th European Congress on Obesity, Budapest,

Hungary.

September 2006. Last accessed online 28 March 2007 at

http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs311/en/print.html

www.who.int/cardiovascular_diseases/guidelines/hypertension/en/print.html

factor for clinical diabetes mellitus in women". Ann Inter Med

(1995). 122: 481-486.

2006. Last accessed online 28 March 2007 at

http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs312/en/print.html

orlistat in hypertensive obese patients predicts improvements in blood

pressure and lipid profile. Poster presented at the 15th European

Congress on Obesity, Budapest, Hungary.

with metabolic syndrome (MS) -- meta-analysis shows early response

patients have significant improvements in MS criteria. Poster

presented at the 15th European Congress on Obesity, Budapest, Hungary.

adjunct to lifestyle changes for the prevention of type 2 diabetes in

obese patients. Diabetes Care 2004;27(1):155-61

orlistat on body weight and cardiovascular disease risk profile in

obese patients: UK Multimorbidity Study. Int J Clin Pract. 2002.

56(7): 494-9.

control in obese subjects with treated but inadequately controlled

hypertension. J Hypertens. 2002. 20 (11):2257-67.

the XENDOS study. Diabetes Obes Metab. 2003. 5(5):356.

SOURCE Roche

CONTACT: Liz Gofton of ShireHealthPR,

+44 (0) 207 108 6518, or

[email protected] , or

Hanne Krog, International Portfolio Business Manager,

Xenical, of F. Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd.,

+41 (0)616881695, or

[email protected]/

Web site: http://www.managingyourweight.com

http://www.roche.com /

--Distributed by AsiaNet ( www.asianetnews.net )--

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