Roche To Present New Data On 27 Different Medicines At American Society of Clinical Oncology

Basel, 14 May 2014 -- Roche (SIX: RO, ROG; OTCQX: RHHBY) today announced that new data on nine approved and 18 investigational medicines will be presented during the 50th American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) Annual Meeting. Of the more than 320 abstracts on Roche medicines, more than 40 have been accepted for oral presentation during the ASCO Annual Meeting.

“Since the first ASCO annual meeting 50 years ago, we are proud to have contributed practice-changing advances for people with a broad range of tumors including breast, blood, colorectal, lung, and skin cancers,” said Sandra Horning, Chief Medical Officer and Head, Global Product Development. “Data from 9 approved and 18 investigational medicines, such as our anti-PDL1 immunotherapy, at ASCO this year demonstrate our continued commitment to improve outcomes for people with cancer.”

The data to be presented at ASCO show the depth and strength of Roche’s oncology pipeline and include the following highlights:

Cancer Immunotherapy: A phase 1 study of anti-PDL1 in advanced bladder cancer will be presented in an oral session on Saturday 31 May. The presentation will feature important updates including; overall response rate, biomarker and safety information. As part of Roche’s global development plan to explore the potential of multiple immunotherapy targets in oncology, anti-PDL1 represents Roche’s most advanced investigational cancer immunotherapy in development.

Hematology: In addition to data from Roche’s anti-CD20 medicines MabThera/Rituxan (rituximab) and Gazyva (obinutuzumab), new data from two investigational medicines will be presented for the first time at ASCO. These data include interim results of a phase 1b study of the Bcl-2 inhibitor GDC-0199/ABT-199 in combination with rituximab in patients with relapsed/refractory chronic lymphocytic leukemia and results of a phase 2 study of polatuzumab vedotin, an anti-CD79b antibody drug conjugate in relapsed/refractory non- Hodgkin lymphoma.

2014 marks the 50 year anniversary of ASCO. Since the first ASCO Annual Meeting in 1964, Roche medicines have been discussed in thousands of data presentations, including eight plenary presentations since 2010, representing a significant contribution for people with many forms of cancer.

About Roche

Headquartered in Basel, Switzerland, Roche is a leader in research-focused healthcare with combined strengths in pharmaceuticals and diagnostics. Roche is the world’s largest biotech company, with truly differentiated medicines in oncology, immunology, infectious diseases, ophthalmology and neuroscience. Roche is also the world leader in in vitro diagnostics and tissue-based cancer diagnostics, and a frontrunner in diabetes management. Roche’s personalised healthcare strategy aims at providing medicines and diagnostics that enable tangible improvements in the health, quality of life and survival of patients. Founded in 1896, Roche has been making important contributions to global health for more than a century. Twenty-four medicines developed by Roche are included in the World Health Organisation Model Lists of Essential Medicines, among them life-saving antibiotics, antimalarials and chemotherapy.

In 2013 the Roche Group employed over 85,000 people worldwide, invested 8.7 billion Swiss francs in R&D and posted sales of 46.8 billion Swiss francs. Genentech, in the United States, is a wholly owned member of the Roche Group. Roche is the majority shareholder in Chugai Pharmaceutical, Japan. For more information, please visit www.roche.com.

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Roche Group Media Relations
Phone: +41 -61 688 8888 / e-mail: roche.mediarelations@roche.com
- Nicolas Dunant (Head)
- Silvia Dobry
- Ulrike Engels-Lange
- Štepán Krácala
- Claudia Schmitt
- Nina Schwab-Hautzinger

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