( Data published today in the Journal of...)MabThera Significantly Increases Survival of Lymphoma Patients,Regardless of Chemotherapy Regimen,Health

Data published today in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute

BASEL, Switzerland, 2 May 2007 - In a study published today in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute, the innovative cancer drug MabThera was shown to improve overall survival in patients with lymphoma regardless of the chemotherapy regimen used.1 The review further stated that the improvement in survival was seen for the first time in patients with mantle cell lymphoma, a rare, aggressive form of lymphoma.

The study was a comprehensive, systematic meta-analysis review of newly-diagnosed or relapsed patients involved in trials that compared MabThera treatment regimens with chemotherapy alone. The review not only demonstrated improved overall survival with MabThera but also that disease control in the MabThera containing arms of the trials was significantly superior to chemotherapy alone.

"This meta analysis clearly demonstrates the contribution MabThera makes to the management of patients with indolent lymphoma," commented Prof. Andreas Engert, from the Cochrane Hematological Malignacies Group, University of Cologne, and one of the authors of the study. "The results confirm the addition of MabThera to treatment of patients with two major forms of NHL extends patients' lives, regardless of their chemotherapy regimen."

Non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL) affects 1 million people worldwide. It is estimated that 360,000 people die each year from the disease.2 Indolent NHL, representing about 45% of NHL patients, is a slow developing but serious cancer of the lymphatic system.

About the study The study included only randomized controlled trials (RCT) comparing R-chemo with chemotherapy alone in patients with newly diagnosed or relapsed indolent lymphoma and mantle cell lymphoma (MCL). Medical databases (Cochrane Library, MEDLINE, EMBA
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