Roche Engages in Four Additional AIDS Technology Transfers to Strengthen Local Manufacturing in World's Poorest Countries

Wednesday, Jan. 09, 2008
Roche Engages in Four Additional AIDS Technology Transfers to
Strengthen Local Manufacturing in World's Poorest Countries
- Free-of-charge expertise for factories in Bangladesh, Kenya,
Tanzania and Zimbabwe -
Roche
NUTLEY, N.J., Jan. 9 -- Roche today announced that it has entered into
four new technology transfers with local manufacturing companies in
African and Asian nations where improvements in access to anti-
retroviral therapy are needed. These companies are Regal
Pharmaceuticals in Kenya, CAPS Holdings in Zimbabwe, Shelys
Pharmaceuticals in Tanzania and Beximco Pharmaceuticals Ltd in
Bangladesh. As part of Roche's Technology Transfer Initiative, these
companies will be provided free of charge with the technical expertise
to manufacture generic HIV medicine, based upon the processes to
produce saquinavir, Roche's second line(1) HIV medicine.

Since the launch two years ago, Roche has signed Technology Transfer
agreements with a total of nine companies across sub-Saharan Africa
and in Least Developed Countries in other parts of the world. Roche
also has received similar requests from a total of 35 manufacturers in
15 eligible countries, including Kenya, Ghana, Zimbabwe and Nigeria.
Roche will continue to work with these individual applicants to assess
production capabilities.

William M. Burns, CEO Division Roche Pharma, said, "these new
agreements highlight the ongoing contribution that our Roche
Technology Transfer Initiative is making to help strengthen and expand
local manufacturing capabilities for HIV medicines in resource-limited
countries. With more local manufacturers now looking to scale-up
production of essential medicines, the continued uptake of this
initiative highlights Roche as an innovative leader in supporting
sustainable solutions to improve HIV healthcare where it is needed
most."

In addition to these four new agreements, Roche has expanded the
Technology Transfer Initiative with training seminars for local
manufacturers across sub-Saharan Africa and the world's Least
Developed Countries. These sessions focus on the development of
improved manufacturing processes and provide a forum for Roche to
share its knowledge and experience with those who have access to fewer
resources. The knowledge gained by local manufacturers enables them to
strengthen their manufacturing capability and increase manufacturing
knowledge on the production of medicines beyond HIV.

Krishna Karnataki, General Manager GMP & Formulations of Shelys
Pharmaceuticals in Tanzania, commented, "the practical support that
Roche has provided has been a great learning experience for my team,
enabling us to make improvements to our entire technical and quality
systems. We have been enthused by this partnership and are eager to
work with Roche on this initiative to help meet the needs of our
people suffering from HIV infections, and improve availability of
these badly needed medications."

Roche's dedicated team will work onsite at manufacturing facilities at
all four locations and from its headquarters in Switzerland to
undertake the

Advertisementtechnology transfers. The companies will be able to
produce saquinavir for supply throughout countries in sub-Saharan
Africa, and to those defined as Least Developed by the United Nations,
due to Roche's policy of not filing patents on antiretroviral
medicines in these countries.

About Roche's Technology Transfer Initiative

Announced in January 2006, the Roche Technology Transfer Initiative
provides local manufacturers with the technical expertise required to
produce generic HIV medicines. Manufacturers in sub-Saharan Africa and
the Least Developed Countries wishing to produce generic saquinavir
for use in these countries will not be required to apply for a
voluntary license because Roche has committed as part of its global
policy not to enforce patents on antiretroviral medicines within these
countries. Interested manufacturers should contact the Project Manager
for the Technology Transfer Initiative at the Roche Kenya office:
info.aidstechtransfer@xxxxxxxxxx

Interested local manufacturers in the following countries are invited
to contact Roche to discuss the Technology Transfer Initiative:
Afghanistan, Angola, Bangladesh, Benin, Bhutan, Burkina Faso,
Botswana, Burundi, Cambodia, Cameroon, Congo, Cote d'Ivoire, Cape
Verde, Central African Republic, Chad Comoros, Democratic Republic of
Congo, Djibouti, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Gabon, Ghana,
Gambia, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Haiti, Kenya, Kiribati, Lao People's
Democratic Republic, Lesotho, Liberia, Madagascar, Malawi, Maldives,
Mali, Mauritius, Mauritania, Mozambique, Myanmar, Namibia, Nigeria,
Nepal, Niger, Rwanda, Samoa, Sao Tome and Principe, Seychelles,
Senegal, Sierra Leone, Solomon Islands, Somalia, South Africa,
Swaziland, United Republic of Tanzania, Timor-Leste, Togo, Tuvalu,
Uganda, Vanuatu, Yemen, Zambia, Zimbabwe.

About Roche's patent and pricing policy

In addition to its Technology Transfer Initiative, Roche will maintain
its current pricing and patent policy. No patents for any of Roche
medicines - across all disease areas - will be filed in the world's
Least Developed Countries (LDCs), as defined by the UN. Roche will not
file patents on new antiretroviral medicines in LDCs or sub-Saharan
Africa. Roche will not take action in these countries against the sale
or manufacture of generic versions of antiretroviral medicines.
Generic versions of such HIV medicines can therefore be produced in
LDCs and sub-Saharan Africa without the need for a voluntary or
compulsory license. Roche makes its HIV protease inhibitors Invirase
and Viracept available at no-profit prices for direct supplies from
Roche Basel to LDCs and sub-Saharan Africa.

About Roche

Hoffmann-La Roche Inc. (Roche), based in Nutley, N.J., is the U.S.
pharmaceuticals headquarters of the Roche Group, one of the world's
leading research-oriented healthcare groups with core businesses in
pharmaceuticals and diagnostics. For more than 100 years in the U.S.,
Roche has been committed to developing innovative products and
services that address prevention, diagnosis and treatment of diseases,
thus enhancing people's health and quality of life. An employer of
choice, in 2007 Roche was named Top Company of the Year by Med Ad News
and one of the Top 20 Employers (Science magazine). In 2006, Roche was
ranked the No. 1 Company to Sell For (Selling Power), and one of
AARP's Top Companies for Older Workers, and in 2005, Roche was named
one of Fortune magazine's Best Companies to Work For in America. For
additional information about the U.S. pharmaceuticals business, visit
our websites: http://www.rocheusa.com or www.roche.us.


All trademarks used or mentioned in this release are protected by
law.
Additional information
-- Roche & HIV/AIDS: www.roche-hiv.com
-- Access to Roche's medicines: www.roche.com/sus_med.htm
(1) WHO treatment guidelines for resource limited settings:
http://www.who.int/hiv/pub/guidelines/artadultguidelines.pdf

SOURCE Roche

Roche, +1-973-562-2699,
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