MabThera Improves Response in Patients With Most Common Form of Adult Leukaemia

Basel, Switzerland (ots/PRNewswire) -

- Higher Response Rates Seen in Untreated and Relapsed CLL
Patients

For non-US media only

Abstract Number: 626

Abstract Number: 752

Early results from two phase II trials tracking the outcome of
patients with chronic lymphocytic leukaemia (CLL) who were treated
with the innovative cancer therapy MabThera (rituximab) have revealed
very promising results. The study outcomes, presented at the 49th
Annual Meeting of the American Society of Hematology in Atlanta, come
from the first prospective trials demonstrating the efficacy of
MabThera in CLL patients and highlight the impact MabThera is having
on CLL, a disease in which there has not been a significant treatment
advance in nearly a decade.

In the first trial(1), 92% patients with previously untreated CLL
achieved a response to treatment when treated with MabThera in
combination with chemotherapy. This improvement confirms similar
results from earlier studies. The study, which is run by the Spanish
Group for CLL (GELLC), is also investigating the impact of MabThera
maintenance therapy in CLL patients, as all responding patients in
the induction phase will also receive MabThera maintenance therapy.
Further results from the second part of the study are expected in
2008.

The second trial(2), conducted by the UK CLL study group, focused
on patients with relapsed CLL and demonstrated a better response for
patients treated with MabThera in combination with chemotherapy than
with chemotherapy alone, 70% to 57%.

"The results from both trials demonstrate the encouraging
potential benefits MabThera, in combination with chemotherapy, can
provide to patients with CLL," commented Prof. Emili Montserrat, from
the Department of Hematology, University of Barcelona, Spain. "These
early results seem to signify that the addition of MabThera to
treatment is critical to improving outcomes in CLL patients, where
there is currently a high unmet medical need."

Chronic Lymphocytic Leukaemia (CLL) is the most common type of
leukaemia in adults, accounting for approximately 25-30% of all
leukaemias. Incidence of CLL in Western countries is around 2-4 per
100,000 and is twice as common in men as in women. It mainly affects
the elderly with 95% of patients diagnosed after the age of 55. While
CLL is generally considered an indolent disease, meaning that it is
slow to progress, a significant proportion of patients have rapidly
progressing forms of the disease.

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Note to editors:

(1) Bosch et al., ASH 2007, Abstract #626

(2) Hillmen et al., ASH 2007, Abstract #752

Further Information:

- Roche in Oncology:
http://www.roche.com/pages/downloads/company/pdf/mboncology05e_b.pdf

- Lymphoma: http://www.lymphoma-net.org

- The Lymphoma Coalition: http://www.lymphomacoalition.org

- Cancer: http://www.health-kiosk.ch/start_krebs.htm

- World Health Organization: http://www.who.int

ots Originaltext: Roche Pharmaceuticals
Im Internet recherchierbar: http://www.presseportal.de

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Robert Purcell, Roche, Robert.Purcell@roche.com, +41-61-688-0846;
Amber Bradbury, Ketchum, Amber.Bradbury@Ketchum.com, +44-7793-681615;
Natalie Fairbank, Ketchum, +4-207-611-3660,
Natalie.Fairbank@Ketchum.com


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