FDA Approves First Hepatitis B Viral...(ople die from hepatitis B-related compli...),Health

The Hepatitis B virus is spread through having unprotected sex, by sharing drugs, needles, or from an infected mother to her baby during birth. Symptoms occur in about 70 percent of patients which include jaundice, fatigue, abdominal pain, loss of appetite, nausea, and vomiting.

About Roche and the Roche Diagnostics Division

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 totaled 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.

(1) U.S. Centers for Disease Control. http://www.cdc.gov

For further information please contact:

Jessica Brillant

Molecular Diagnostics Communications

Phone: 925.730.8503

Melinda Baker

Molecular Diagnostics Communications

Phone: 925.730.8379