Tarceva brings new hope to patients with advanced lung cancer

Roche today announced that the SATURN (SequentiAl Tarceva in UnResectable
NSCLC) study met its primary endpoint of progression free survival. The
study showed that Tarceva (erlotinib), when given in first line maintenance
- immediately following initial treatment with platinum-based chemotherapy -
, significantly extended the time patients with advanced non-small cell lung
cancer (NSCLC) lived without their cancer getting worse.

Trial investigator, Prof. F. Cappuzzo, MD, Istituto Clinico Humanitas IRCCS,
Milan, Italy, commented: “Lung cancer patients need options to stop the
rapid progress of this disease without the side effects of chemotherapy.
SATURN shows that Tarceva provides this option and gives new hope to
patients and their families.”

“Tarceva is already proven to work in patients with advanced lung cancer
whose previous treatment has failed,” said William M. Burns, CEO of the
Pharmaceuticals Division at Roche. “This data indicates a role for Tarceva
as first-line maintenance treatment for this difficult-to-treat disease to
help patients further delay the progression of their cancer.”

Lung cancer is the most common cancer worldwide with 1.4 million new cases
annually1, and NSCLC accounts for almost 80 percent of all lung cancers.
Extending the time patients live without their disease progressing and
managing side effects are key treatment goals, so the results of the SATURN
study are significant for both physicians and their patients.

The SATURN study results are being fully analyzed and will be presented at a
future medical meeting.
Roche will discuss with regulatory agencies the data and plans for filing of
a new indication for Tarceva.

In a collaboration with OSI Pharmaceuticals and Genentech, Roche will
continue an extensive development program of more than 130 clinical studies
with Tarceva at earlier stages of the disease and in combination with other
treatments including Avastin to further evaluate Tarceva's life-extending
benefits for patients with NSCLC lung cancer.

Contact Information
For more information on SATURN and Tarceva please contact:

Roche Group Media Relations
Phone: +41 -61 688 8888 / e-mail:
- Daniel Piller (Head)
- Alexander Klauser
- Martina Rupp
- Claudia Schmitt
- Elina Ämmälä