Basel, 8. January 2001

Roche and Millennium form alliance in the area of rheumatoid arthritis diagnostics
Collaboration focuses on creating novel products for personalized medicine

Roche Diagnostics, a division of the Roche Group, and Millennium Pharmaceuticals, Inc., together with its wholly-owned subsidiary Millennium Predictive Medicine, Inc., today announced that they have entered into a collaborative research agreement that will focus on the development of diagnostics products for rheumatoid arthritis. For Roche, this alliance provides an opportunity to further strengthen its proteomics research program to develop novel diagnostics.

The ultimate goal of this alliance is to provide diagnostic products for patients with rheumatoid arthritis that will enable individualized programs of care and medical intervention. Millennium and Roche will exclusively collaborate to develop markers for early detection, prognosis and monitoring of the disease. Utilization of proteomics - the comprehensive study of proteins expressed in cells, tissues and fluids - for the discovery and development of diagnostic products will lead to more specific, highly sensitive tests that allow patient-specific definition and prognosis of disease. The information thus gained will result in a more individualized, comprehensive course of treatment for patients suffering from rheumatoid arthritis.

Through the terms of this three-year alliance Roche obtains certain research and development rights to select diagnostic markers and related intellectual property developed by Millennium in this disease area. Millennium receives a licensing fee, funding for research and milestone payments and royalties. Diagnostic products resulting from the alliance will be brought to market by Roche.

“We are delighted to enter into this new alliance with Millennium. The combination of Roche’s world-class strength in diagnostics with Millennium’s strong position in genomics and proteomics will bring revolutionary diagnostic products to market,” said Heino von Prondzynski, head of the Diagnostics Division and member of the Roche Group Executive Committee. “Through this alliance, we will have the ability to work with Millennium in applying their advanced proteomics technologies in this critical disease area.”

“This alliance with Roche will enable us to further advance our goal of delivering personalized medicine through a dynamic collaboration in rheumatoid arthritis,” said Mark Levin, chief executive officer of Millennium Pharmaceuticals, Inc. "Our partnership with Roche will further our efforts in the area of inflammation and will continue to move Millennium closer to our goal of delivering breakthrough products to help improve the lives of patients."

Roche, who has already developed and marketed breakthrough innovative systems for automated PCR, Nucleic Acid Purification and large-scale protein production, has recently launched a new proteomics initiative to create individualized healthcare solutions through the development of specific tests customized to patient needs. One of the objectives of Roche’s proteomics research in diagnostics is to identify proteins that can be used as potential new markers in preclinical and clinical tests for cancer, metabolic disorders, cardiovascular disease, and inflammatory disease.

Millennium, a leading biopharmaceutical company, applies its comprehensive and integrated science and technology platform for the discovery and development of therapeutic and predictive medicine products, with a goal of delivering personalized medicine. Through the industrialization of this gene-to-patient platform, Millennium is also striving to accelerate the process of drug discovery and development. Headquartered in Cambridge, Mass., Millennium currently employs more than 1,200 people.

Headquartered in Basel, Switzerland, Roche is one of the world’s leading research-oriented healthcare groups in the fields of pharmaceuticals, diagnostics and vitamins. Roche’s innovative products and services address needs for the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of disease, thus enhancing people’s well-being and quality of life. Roche has approximately 64,000 employees and sells its products in over 170 countries. Through the company's Diagnostics Division, innovative testing products and services are made available to physicians, patients, hospitals and laboratories worldwide.