Roche Diagnostics and Premier Sign New Three-year Agreements for Molecular Products
Tests for HIV, Hepatitis C, and Chlamydia Available to Premier Customers

Roche Diagnostics Corporation announced it has signed a new three-year contract with Premier Purchasing Partners, a San Diego, Ca. - based group purchasing organization, to continue providing Roche Diagnostics’ molecular analyzers, reagents, consumables, and service for multiple assay categories.

The contract includes the LightCycler® instrument, the COBAS® AMPLICOR® instrument and the new COBAS® AmpliPrep® instrument for use with the COBAS AMPLICOR HIV-1 MONITOR® and COBAS AMPLICOR HCV Qualitative tests. The test menu also includes COBAS AMPLICOR CT/NG tests. The COBAS AMPLICOR HIV-1 MONITOR test is used for the quantification of the HIV-1 RNA for viral load monitoring. Detection of HCV RNA by the COBAS AMPLICOR HCV test indicates that the virus is replicating and therefore, is evidence of active HCV infection. The COBAS AMPLICOR CT/NG tests are qualitative tests for the detection of Chlamydia trachomatis or Neisseria gonorrhea. A new addition to this contract is a sole source award for Analyte Specific Reagents (ASRs), which are used by hospitals to develop molecular assays for various disease states.

This new contract continues a long-term relationship between Premier and Roche Diagnostics which now includes integrated chemistry, immunochemistry and lab automation, blood glucose monitoring, urinalysis, point-of-care coagulation, and molecular testing.

“Roche Diagnostics offers Premier members the broadest portfolio of platforms and molecular product categories to meet Premier membership’s diverse needs,” said Lonnie Shoff, Senior Vice President, Applied Science and Molecular Diagnostics business areas of Roche Diagnostics. “We are delighted to continue our long-time collaboration with Premier to help its members increase laboratory efficiency and enhance patient care through timely, actionable clinical information.”

About PCR Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) Technology, a Nobel-prize winning discovery, is a simple yet elegant means by which virtually unlimited copies of genetic material can be made in a test tube. PCR’s exquisite sensitivity makes it possible to diagnose infectious agents earlier and provide crucial information on therapeutic response for chronic disease.

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 a world leader in Diagnostics, the leading supplier of medicines for cancer and transplantation and a market leader in virology. In 2004, the Pharmaceuticals Division generated 21.7 billion Swiss francs in prescription drug sales, 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, 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 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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