City of Jacksonville Breaking the Cycle Research Study Uses Roche Diagnostics DAT for Rapid Drug Testing

INDIANAPOLIS, IN - (August 23, 2001) - A three-year Breaking the Cycle research study sponsored by the National Institute of Justice, the research arm of the Department of Justice, has been conducted in the City of Jacksonville, Florida. Roche Diagnostics DAT drug-testing products were selected for use in the research study for their immediacy, convenience and reliability.

Jamie Brooks, Program Director, said, "The hypothesis for our research was the idea that working with people pre-sentencing to 'Break the Cycle' provides a greater potential for improvement and rehabilitation than waiting until post-sentencing. Part of our research involved drug-testing people when they were arrested. More than 75% volunteered to be drug tested, and, of those, more than 65% tested positive for cocaine, marijuana or a combination of both. With Roche's rapid drug testing, immediate action can be taken - there can be swift and immediate sanction or immediate reward."

Several drug-testing products were evaluated for use in the Breaking the Cycle research study. Roche Diagnostics' OnTrak TesTcup® was selected for the drug testing because of its immediacy -- results can be known while the person is still in front of the pre-trial services officer; for its convenience, making transference of urine samples to another facility unnecessary; and for its reliability, with a proven history of legal defensibility.

Keith Snyder, Marketing Manager, Roche Diagnostics, DAT, "Roche is committed to working with Breaking the Cycle to add value to their drug testing needs and provide the service and support they require for this worthwhile research effort."

About Roche:

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 products and services address prevention, diagnosis and treatment of diseases, thus enhancing well-being and quality of life. Roche sells its products in over 170 countries. Roche's Diagnostics Division supplies a wide array of innovative testing products and services to researchers, physicians, patients, hospitals, and laboratories worldwide. Roche Diagnostics Corporation, based in Indianapolis, is the North American headquarters for the diagnostics business of the company.