Molecular Diagnostics and the Future of Healthcare Discussed at AACC Annual Meeting

Media Briefing by Roche Diagnostics Previews New Products and Advances

Orlando, Florida -July 31, 2002 - Today at a news conference by
Roche Diagnostics at the American Association for Clinical Chemistry (AACC),
special guest speaker Dr. Ellen Jo Baron of Stanford University discussed
developing and future applications of PCR (polymerase chain reaction)
technology in the diagnosis and monitoring of infectious diseases. Dick
Aderman, Senior Vice President and General Manager of Roche Centralized and
Molecular Diagnostics, outlined the developing use of PCR in broader
healthcare contexts, such as targeted monitoring of patients genetically
predisposed to certain diseases and the identification of genomic-based drugs.
He covered new products in development that will allow laboratories to take
advantage of emerging opportunities in PCR and provide clinicians with
actionable health information.

Known for her breakthrough discovery of a new organism (Bilophila
wadsworthia, which has been isolated from cases of acute appendicitis), Dr.
Baron, Associate Professor and Director, Clinical Microbiology/Virology Lab at
Stanford University, outlined how PCR is addressing the current and future
needs of microbiology/virology laboratories in the U.S.

"We are looking forward to using PCR technology in many more areas,
including virus detection, unculturable agents, rapid detection of agents of
septicemia and of bioterrorism, antibiotic resistance and genomovar
identification," Dr. Baron explained. "The limited number of commercial tests
available today has led to the widespread use of 'home-brews,' creating a
growing need for more analyte-specific reagents (ASRs) across more disease
areas."

Dr. Baron went on to highlight the many issues labs are facing across the
U.S., including labor shortages and the need for faster, more automated and
more reliable testing methods.

Dick Aderman explained how PCR innovation and automation have created a
new gold standard for labs to perform "real-time PCR," which will help to
usher in a new age of healthcare.

"The possibilities with PCR technology have barely been scratched.
Diagnosis, therapy and therapy monitoring will remain important elements in
medical care, but more and more patients will be cared for proactively," said
Aderman. "With the advent of molecular diagnostics, we are now able to test
for genetic predisposition to certain diseases, provide targeted monitoring to
predisposed patients, and actively manage these patients."

Laboratories across the U.S. can look forward to a host of new Roche
Diagnostics products and automated testing systems to help with labor
shortages and timing issues, as a result of the company's numerous innovative
partnerships and unparalleled research commitment -- at $740 million CHF.

Roche Diagnostics announced that in the coming months it will be launching
a family of "next-generation" automated solutions and an expanded ASR menu.
Roche will also be the first to market a micro array for diagnostics with the
launch of the P450 chip in the first quarter of 2003.

Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) Technology is a Nobel prize-winning in
vitro technique that imitates nature's ability to replicate DNA. It has been
hailed as one of the most powerful tools of molecular biology.

Since acquiring the rights to PCR technology in 1991, Roche has led the
industry in overall R&D development, becoming the pre-eminent leader in
molecular diagnostics. PCR's exquisite sensitivity makes it possible to
diagnose infectious agents, including HIV and hepatitis viruses, earlier and
to detect genetic variations that may predispose people to diseases such as
cardiovascular disease and cancer. In addition, PCR is the leading nucleic
acid amplification technology (NAT) for the screening of blood and blood
products.

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's Diagnostics Division, the world leader in in-vitro diagnostics
with a uniquely broad 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 Diagnostics' website is located at www.roche-diagnostics.com.