Indianapolis, Ind., October 9, 2003

Roche Diagnostics and The Cleveland Clinic Collaborate on Study of Cardiovascular Disease

Roche Diagnostics and the Cleveland Clinic have launched a study to define new risk factors for cardiovascular disease, using Roche's state-of-the-art genotyping instrument, the LightTyper™. This study, known as GASH (Genes Associated with Stable Heart Disease) is the first collaborative study between Roche Diagnostics and the Cleveland Clinic Foundation. The two groups will be using the resources of the GeneBank at the Cleveland Clinic, which is one of the largest DNA repositories in the world, with a targeted 10,000 samples from patients with cardiovascular disease.

The study's intent is to discover the risk of myocardial infarction in patients with evidence of plaque by identifying specific gene markers or single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) related to all 2,000 patients in the study. A unique approach, the study is using a defined case-control approach that is powered to determine markers for progression of stable coronary plaques to unstable plaques.

"This study is an important next step in better understanding the progression of heart disease and ultimately, preventing ischemic events in heart disease patients," said Dr. Raymond Tubbs, Chairman, Department of Clinical Pathology, Cleveland Clinic Foundation and Principal Investigator of the study.

"The hope is that the study will discover markers for atherosclerotic plaque instability based on vessel wall or inflammatory genes," said Dr. Kandice Kottke-Marchant, Section Head of Hemostasis and Thrombosis, Department of Clinical Pathology, Cleveland Clinic Foundation. "We are thrilled to be working with Roche on such an important project -- the results of which could benefit thousands of patients with cardiovascular disease."

"Roche Diagnostics is delighted to be working with a leader in cardiovascular research. The findings of this study may enable us to identify new cardiovascular markers that could be used to
predict which patients are at risk for progression of coronary artery disease," said Martin Madaus, President and CEO, Roche Diagnostics Corporation. "Teaming clinical research with the diagnostic application is an important component in the next generation of medical innovation and is an example of Roche working toward the continuum of healthcare."

Roche's LightTyper is a post-PCR genotyping instrument that automatically detects mutations at the level of DNA sequence by using melting curve analysis. Specifically with the GASH study, the LightTyper is being used to define markers for atherosclerotic plaque instability.

About Cleveland Clinic Foundation
The Cleveland Clinic Foundation, located in Cleveland, Ohio, is a not-for-profit multispecialty academic medical center that integrates clinical and hospital care with research and education. The Cleveland Clinic was founded in 1921 by four renown physicians with a vision of providing outstanding patient care based upon the principles of cooperation, compassion and innovation. U.S. News & World Report consistently names The Cleveland Clinic as one of the nation's best hospitals in its annual "America's Best Hospitals" survey. In 2003, The Cleveland Clinic is ranked fifth overall. Approximately 1,200 full-time salaried physicians at The Cleveland Clinic and Cleveland Clinic Florida represent more than 100 medical specialties and subspecialties. In 2002, there were nearly 2.5 million outpatient visits to The Cleveland Clinic and more than 52,000 hospital admissions. Patients came for treatment from every state and from more than 90 countries. The Cleveland Clinic website address is www.clevelandclinic.org.

About Roche and the Roche Diagnostics Division
Headquartered in Basel, Switzerland, Roche is one of the world's leading innovation-driven healthcare groups. Its core businesses are pharmaceuticals and diagnostics. Roche is number one in the global diagnostics market, the leading supplier of pharmaceuticals for cancer and a leader in virology and transplantation. As a supplier of products and services for the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of disease, the Group contributes on a broad range of fronts to improving people's health and quality of life. Roche employs roughly 65,000 people in 150 countries. The Group has alliances and research and development agreements with numerous partners, including majority ownership interests in Genentech and Chugai. 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 world-wide. Roche Diagnostics' North American headquarters are in Indianapolis, Indiana. For further information, please visit our websites www.roche.com and www.roche-diagnostics.com.