Alexandria, VA, September 1, 2004

American Diabetes Association, Roche Diagnostics Announce Results of Partner for a Cure Campaign
Over $300,000 Raised for Diabetes Research

The American Diabetes Association (ADA) Research Foundation today announced the results of a campaign by Roche Diagnostics, maker of Accu-Chek® products and services, to raise funds for research into diabetes and obesity. "Partner for a Cure," a two-month-long fund-raising effort, has been a call-to-action to Roche Diagnostics' suppliers to join with the company in financially supporting its commitment to support this cause.

Working together, Roche Diagnostics and its suppliers raised over $300,000. In encouraging its suppliers to pitch in, they pointed to the skyrocketing incidence and resulting cost of medical care for corporate America. The annual cost of diabetes in medical expenditures and lost productivity climbed 35% from $98 billion in 1997 to $132 billion in 2002. In that time, the direct medical costs of diabetes more than doubled.

"The 'Partner for a Cure' campaign is a great example of the business community joining forces to help find a solution to this growing epidemic," said Don Wagner of Venetia, PA, Chair of the American Diabetes Association Research Foundation. "We appreciate Roche Diagnostics taking the lead on this project. They have clearly recognized the importance of research for a cure and have been a long-time supporter of the ADA and its mission."

"Roche Diagnostics is proud to participate as the first company to partner with the ADA Research Foundation on this initiative, and we are very appreciative of our suppliers' support of this campaign. It's truly a creative way to get other corporations involved through their donations as well as increase their awareness of diabetes," said Bill Lister, Senior Vice President and General Manager, Patient Care, Roche Diagnostics. "Millions of people with diabetes and their families rely on the ADA's research, information and advocacy, and we applaud their work and outreach to the community."

The dollars raised from the "Partner for a Cure" campaign will be used to match a $1.5 million gift from the Richard and Susan Smith Family Foundation in Boston, MA. The Smith Family established the nation's first "Pinnacle Program Project Award," which provides grant support to stimulate collaborations between investigators working on independent but complementary research projects in diabetes. Investigators were recently selected to receive the award and are focusing their research on the contributing causes of obesity and diabetes in humans.

Suppliers who have participated in the campaign to date include: Adhesives Research, Inc.; BBDO Chicago; B I - The Business Improvement Company; Coppinger Exhibits, Inc.; Convergys Corporation; CSP Technologies, Inc.; Cultura; EMS-CHEMIE (North America), Inc.; Fulcrum Analytics; Jaclyn, Inc.; NorthStar Partners, LLC; PHD USA; Phillips Plastic Corporation; Porter Novelli; SGI-Marketing Logistics Services For Your Business; TECHNI-MET, Inc.; TEKRA Corporation; Thermotech Company; Topflight Corporation; and Williams/Gerard Productions, Inc.

The American Diabetes Association funds research aimed at preventing and curing diabetes, as well as research designed to help people with diabetes live longer, healthier, more normal lives. The goal of the ADA research program is to leverage its investment in research to achieve the greatest possible benefit for people with diabetes. In funding innovative research such as that led by this group, the research program supports research projects that cover the spectrum of diabetes-related investigation.

Diabetes is a chronic disease and a silent killer. More than 18 million Americans have diabetes and approximately 1.3 million new cases are diagnosed each year. A major risk factor for heart disease and stroke, diabetes is also the leading cause of blindness, kidney failure and amputations.

About the American Diabetes Association
The American Diabetes Association is the nation's premier voluntary health organization supporting diabetes research, information and advocacy. Founded in 1940, the Association has offices in every region of the country, providing services to hundreds of communities. The Association's commitment to research is reflected through its scientific meetings; education and provider recognition programs; and its Research Foundation and Nationwide Research Program, which fund breakthrough studies looking into the cure, prevention, and treatment of diabetes and its complications. For more information, please visit www.diabetes.org or call 1-800-DIABETES (1-800-342-2383). Information from both these sources is available in English and Spanish.

About Roche and the Roche Diagnostics Division
Headquartered in Basel, Switzerland, Roche is one of the world's leading research-intensive healthcare groups. Its core businesses are pharmaceuticals and diagnostics. As a supplier of innovative 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 is number one in the global diagnostics market, the leading supplier of medicines for cancer and transplantation and a market leader in virology. In 2003, the Pharmaceuticals Division generated 19.8 billion Swiss francs in prescription drug sales, while the Diagnostics Division posted sales of 7.4 billion Swiss francs. Roche employs roughly 65,000 people in 150 countries and has R&D agreements and strategic alliances 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.

As part of the division, Roche Diabetes Care has been a pioneer in the development of blood glucose monitoring systems and is a global leader in providing comprehensive diabetes care. This means offering people with diabetes innovative products and services reaching from blood glucose monitoring through data management to insulin delivery. For 30 years, Diabetes Care has been committed to making living easier for people with diabetes and healthcare professionals by providing innovative products and services which make diabetes management easier, more effective and cost efficient. Its main products are the Accu-Chek family of blood glucose meters, test strips, lancing and data management systems, including the Accu-Chek Compact, Accu-Chek Advantage and Accu-Chek Softclix. Roche Diagnostics' North American headquarters is located in Indianapolis, Ind. (www.roche-diagnostics.us). For further information, please visit www.roche.com and www.roche-diagnostics.com.

Accu-Chek is a trademark of a member of The Roche Group.