ROCHE DIABETES CARE LAUNCHES ACCU-CHEK COMPACT™ AND A NEW GENERATION OF BLOOD GLUCOSE MONITORING SYSTEMS
System's integrated features mean no strip handling, more convenience; makes living with diabetes a little easier

INDIANAPOLIS (November 8, 2001) - Each day, Jill Hefele lives with the challenges of managing her diabetes. One of the biggest challenges, Jill finds, is fitting blood glucose monitoring into her daily routine. Finding the time and a convenient place - let alone the wherewithal - to test blood glucose levels is difficult for anyone with diabetes. That's why Roche Diabetes Care developed the
Accu-Chek Compact™ System, a new blood glucose monitoring system that integrates multiple features that are traditionally separate into a single system and introduces new technology that eliminates the need to handle strips and code keys.

"I've been living with type 1 diabetes for 32 years. As an assembly engineer, I travel 10 weeks a year and when I'm not traveling, I spend my day working in an assembly bay," said Hefele. "It's difficult for me to have the best control over my diabetes because I can't afford the time and the inconvenience that blood glucose testing sometimes takes. Accu-Chek Compact helps me cut down the time it takes to test because the test strips are already inside the meter. Not only do I have better control, the cell phone-like design of the meter means that I can test more discreetly in public places like at work and the airport."

The Accu-Chek Compact Meter is the newest member of the Accu-Chek family of meters. It marks a new generation of blood glucose systems called Integrated Solutions. One of its major features is its Automated Drum Technology, which automates a strip-handling process with self-contained strips, calibrates the meter and enables the test strips to be dispensed from a drum of 17 tests with a press of a button. The Accu-Chek Compact System is the only one in the world that offers Automated Drum Technology.

In addition, the Accu-Chek Compact Meter delivers results within 15 seconds. It only requires 3.5 µL of capillary blood. Outside-meter dosing of blood samples assures compliance with stringent hygiene standards and helps minimize the possibility of human error.

Other features, such as underdosing detection and built-in strip quality control, help assure maximum safety and efficacy. The
Accu-Chek Compact Meter also features an infrared data port that can download data into Accu-Chek data management systems, computers and other data storage devices and, via modem, to healthcare providers.

"Blood glucose monitoring, along with diet and exercise, is the key to diabetes management. By offering so many features that make self-monitoring easier, Accu-Chek Compact may lower barriers to glucose monitoring. The more convenient the system and the easier it is to use, the more likely my patients are to monitor their blood glucose levels and manage their disease," commented Robyn Pollom, nurse practitioner at Diabetes Care Center, Indianapolis, Ind.

According to the American Diabetes Association, more than 16 million Americans have diabetes. Complications of diabetes include nerve damage, blindness and heart and kidney disease. Results from the United Kingdom Prospective Diabetes Study (UKPDS) show that these complications can be delayed and potentially avoided by effectively managing blood glucose levels.

"Roche Diabetes Care is proud to introduce another Accu-Chek product to our portfolio of blood glucose monitoring systems," said Don Dumoulin, vice president of Marketing at Roche Diabetes Care. " For 25 years, Roche has been developing innovative products designed to meet its customers' needs. The Accu-Chek Compact Meter is another example of Roche's innovative, market-leading technology."

The Accu-Chek Compact System is available currently at pharmacies and drug stores nationwide.

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'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 worldwide. Roche Diagnostics Corporation, based in Indianapolis, is the North American headquarters for the diagnostics business of the company. Roche's website is located at www.roche.com.