A Treatment-Free Life is Possible for Millions of Hepatitis B Patients, PEGASYS(R) Study Reveals

Prior Treatment with 'Maintenance Therapy' Medications No Barrier to Achieving Sustained Response with PEGASYS

Hope of a treatment-free life for millions of hepatitis B patients currently having to take daily therapy to keep their disease under control, was evealed today at an international congress in Manila.

The new clinical data showed that one-third of patients previously taking daily antiviral medication (lamivudine) achieved a sustained response following a 48-week course of PEGASYS(R) (peginterferon alfa-2a (40KD)) therapy. Sustained response means that the virus has been effectively suppressed and patients can live life without daily antiviral medications. This impressive response was achieved with just one course of PEGASYS.

"For many reasons, patients find daily antiviral medications difficult to stay on. These results show that PEGASYS can offer the possibility of a treatment-free life for some hepatitis B patients" said Professor Teerha Piratvisuth, from the Prince of Songkla University, Thailand and lead author of this study. "This is good news, given the high risk of developing resistance to daily antiviral drugs, and the well documented risk of hepatitis flares when this type of therapy is inappropriately stopped."

Key results from the PEGaLAM study

The results from the PEGaLAM study were presented today at the Asia Pacific Association for the Study of the Liver (APASL) Conference. The PEGaLAM study is a real world efficacy study, evaluating the benefit of up to 48 weeks of PEGASYS in hepatitis B patients who have previously been treated with lamivudine or adefovir. In this study of 83 patients living in Asia, over 30%

About PEGASYS

PEGASYS works to fight hepatitis B in two ways: it boosts the immune system and at the same time, attacks the hepatitis B virus directly. Daily antiviral medications, such as lamivudine or adefovir (also called nucleoside analogues) have a direct antiviral effect only and tend to be taken indefinitely as the hepatitis B often comes back if patients stop taking it. However, the virus can become resistant to daily antiviral medications with long-term use, limiting their effectiveness.

About Chronic Hepatitis B

Chronic hepatitis B is a serious global healthcare problem that affects over 350 million people worldwide. It is one of the principal causes of chronic liver disease, cirrhosis, and primary liver cancer. Approximately one million people die from chronic hepatitis B annually, making it the 10th 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.

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. In 2005 sales by the Pharmaceuticals Division totalled 27.3 billion Swiss francs, and the Diagnostics Division posted sales of 8.2 billion Swiss francs. Roche employs roughly 70,000 people in 150 countries 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

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SOURCE: Roche Pharmaceuticals

CONTACT: Janet Kettels,

of Roche,

+41-79-597-82-85;

James Smith,

of Axon Communications,

+44-20-8822-6692

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

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

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