Roche Diagnostics Dismissed Legal Action Against Former Supplier -
Access Diabetic Supply Will Send Corrective Letter to Consumers

Roche Diagnostics Corporation of Indianapolis , Ind. dismissed a complaint filed in U.S. District Court, Southern District of Indiana on Friday, July 30, 2004 against former supplier Access Diabetic Supply, Inc of Pompano Beach , Florida .

The lawsuit claimed that Access Diabetic Supply misinformed consumers to believe that the ACCU-CHEK® Compact blood glucose meter had been the subject of a high rate of complaints and product returns and had been recalled. Access Diabetic Supply now has agreed to contact all consumers who may have received the erroneous communication and inform them of the error.

About Roche and the Roche Diagnostics Division

Headquartered in Basel , Switzerland , Roche is one of the world's leading research-focused healthcare groups in the fields of pharmaceuticals and diagnostics. As a supplier of innovative products and services for the early detection, 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 a world leader in diagnostics, the leading supplier of medicines for cancer and transplantation and a market leader in virology. In 2004, sales by the Pharmaceuticals Division totaled 21.7 billion Swiss francs, while the Diagnostics Division posted sales of 7.8 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 offers a uniquely broad product portfolio and supplies a wide array of innovative testing products and services to researchers, physicians, patients, hospitals and laboratories world-wide. . Roche Diagnostics' North American headquarters is located in Indianapolis , Ind. ( www.roche-diagnostics.us ) For further information, please visit our websites www.roche.us and www.roche-diagnostics.com .

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ACCU-CHEK is a trademark of a member of The Roche Group.