Roche, the leading diagnostics supplier in the world, has been invited by the William J. Clinton Presidential Foundation to procure the supply of HIV- and AIDS-related diagnostic products to certain Developing Countries. This is a further component in Roche's global effort to provide health care for people in areas where access is limited.

The agreement between the Clinton Foundation and five medical technologies companies will cut the costs of key tests by up to 80 percent for people with HIV/AIDS. The tests will initially be available in 16 countries and territories where the Clinton Foundation HIV/AIDS Initiative is working with governments and organizations to set up country-wide integrated care, treatment and prevention programs. It is hoped that up to 2 million people will be able to benefit from the tests by the year 2008.

"Roche Diagnostics is proud to contribute to this extremely worthy program", says Heino von Prondzynski, Head of Roche Diagnostics and member of Roche's Executive Committee. "With the AmpliCare initiative, the company responds to humanitarian needs for increased direct access to its Amplicor and TaqMan HIV-1 monitor product line for patients under HIV/AIDS treatment. By this initiative, Roche Diagnostics is able to supply certain HIV viral load diagnostic tests at significantly reduced prices, exclusively directed to laboratories having the necessary infrastructure and expertise to perform PCR testing of patients' samples in sub-Saharan Africa, South Africa and countries defined by the United Nations as 'least developed countries'."

The Clinton Foundation has developed a program to facilitate broad access to high-quality HIV- and AIDS-related diagnostic products and pharmaceuticals used in the treatment of HIV and AIDS to developing countries on an affordable basis. In particular, it coordinates the demand in a number of developing countries that will support efficient, high-volume production and enable the sustainable supply of HIV- and AIDS-related diagnostic products and treatments. The member countries are the Republic of South Africa, Mozambique, Rwanda, Tanzania, Haiti, the Bahamas, Dominican Republic and the Organization of Eastern Caribbean States. The Clinton Foundation Program facilitates the purchase of diagnostic products and treatments needed for testing and treating 1.5 to 2 million people within five years in these countries. The Partners of this program are selected providers of the respective industries, and Roche is proud to be among them.

HIV/AIDS & Roche
Accurate and accessible HIV- and AIDS-related diagnostic testing is essential for optimal management and treatment of HIV and AIDS. People who are being treated with anitretroviral drugs need to be monitored periodically in order to check the efficacy of their treatment and identify resistance to current treatment. At present the number of people living with or affected by HIV and AIDS and receiving antiretroviral treatments along with related diagnostic testing and monitoring accounts for a relatively small proportion of the total number of HIV and AIDS sufferers. Moreover, many of the people affected by the disease live in developing countries where access to diagnosis and treatment is difficult. Roche Pharma is therefore supplying its HIV protease inhibitors (Invirase and Viracept) at no profit in sub-Saharan Africa and to countries defined by the UN as "Least Developed".

Corporate Philanthropy at Roche
As we are operating in countries around the world, we are working every day to enhance the quality of people's lives by supporting community projects, making charitable contributions and engaging in a raft of collaborations and partnerships with non-profit organizations. Good corporate citizenship at Roche is a multifaceted process of commitment and action in areas ranging from humanitarian aid, health promotion and education to environmental stewardship. Roche's contributions range from its very transparent price and patent policies to a number of social sponsorship programs the company supports.

The William J. Clinton Presidential Foundation
The mission of the William J. Clinton Presidential Foundation is to strengthen the capacity of people in the United States and throughout the world to meet the challenges of global interdependence. To accomplish this mission, the Foundation currently focuses its work in five critical areas: Battle against HIV/AIDS, racial, ethnic and religious reconciliation, citizen service, economic empowerment of poor people and Leadership development. The Foundation works principally through partnerships with like-minded individuals, organizations, corporations, and governments, often serving as an incubator for new policies and programs. Former President Clinton established the Foundation and advances its mission by using his vast public and private networks to initiate research, dialogue and action.

Roche
Headquartered in Basel, Switzerland, Roche is one of the world's leading innovation-driven healthcare groups. Its core businesses are pharmaceuticals and diagnostics. Roche is number one in the global diagnostics market, the leading supplier of pharmaceuticals for cancer and a leader in virology and transplantation. As a supplier of products and services for the 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 employs roughly 65,000 people in 150 countries. The Group has alliances and research and development agreements with numerous partners, including majority ownership interests in Genentech and Chugai. Roche's Diagnostics Division, the world leader in in-vitro diagnostics with a uniquely broad product portfolio, supplies a wide array of innovative testing products and services to researchers, physicians, patients, hospitals and laboratories world-wide.

Additional information
- Roche Diagnostics: www.roche-diagnostics.com
- HIV/AIDS & Roche: www.roche-hiv.com
- Roche's commitment to Corporate Sustainability: www.roche.com/home/sustain.htm
- Roche's commitment to access to healthcare:
www.roche.com/pages/downloads/sustain/pdf/comm_diff_rep.pdf
- William J. Clinton Presidential Foundation: www.clintonpresidentialcenter.com/found_index.html

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Your Roche Media Team

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