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Genentech Announces Ample Supply of Tamiflu^® Prescription Flu Medicine for Upcoming Flu Season

SOUTH SAN FRANCISCO, Calif. -- October 06, 2010 -- Genentech, a member of the Roche Group (SIX: RO, ROG; OTCQX: RHHBY), announced today that ample supplies of Tamiflu®
(oseltamivir phosphate), a prescription antiviral medicine to treat flu, will be widely available at U.S. pharmacies this flu season.

Tamiflu is prescribed by doctors¹ to help lessen the duration and severity of the flu in adults and children one year and older¹. Treatment with Tamiflu can also help prevent people exposed to someone with the flu from getting sick¹.

"Tamiflu directly attacks the flu virus,¹" said Dominick Iacuzio, Ph.D. medical director at Genentech. "Since Tamiflu is approved for people whose flu symptoms have started within the last two days,¹ it is important that people be aware of symptoms and call their doctor right away for a proper diagnosis and treatment if appropriate."

All Tamiflu formulations are in ample supply, including: 75 mg capsules for adults, 30mg and 45 mg capsules for children, and oral suspension (liquid) for children or people who have difficulty swallowing capsules.¹

Vaccination is the first line of defense against preventing the flu.¹ Prescription flu medicines like Tamiflu offer a second line of defense to prevent and treat seasonal influenza.² Medicines like Tamiflu are not substitutes for vaccination.³ The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends prescription antivirals as part of its "Take 3" plan to prevent and treat flu, along with vaccination and good hygiene, such as hand washing. (http://www.cdc.gov/flu/protect/preventing.htm).⁴

Consumers can track flu outbreaks by zip code and receive alerts about flu in their communities by visiting www.Tamiflu.com and using the Flu Tracker or by downloading a free "Fight the Flu" iPhone application available later this month.

Healthcare professionals can visit www.Tamiflu.com/hcp for detailed information about the treatment and prevention of influenza, the latest CDC guidelines and flu surveillance activity by zip code.

About Tamiflu
Tamiflu, co-developed by Gilead Sciences, Inc., based in Foster City, CA, is the only oral prescription antiviral medicine approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for the treatment and prevention of influenza A and B in adults and children age one and older.⁵,⁶ Worldwide, Tamiflu has been approved by 80 regulatory authorities,⁷ and has been commercially available for 11 years.⁸ More than 68 million people have used Tamiflu.⁹ Prescribers should consider available information on influenza drug susceptibility patterns and treatment effects when deciding whether to use Tamiflu.¹⁰

Before taking Tamiflu, patients should tell their doctor if they are pregnant or nursing, or if they have kidney disease, heart disease, respiratory disease, or other serious health conditions. Also, patients should let their doctor know if they are taking any other medications or if they have received nasally administered influenza virus vaccine during the past two weeks.

If patients develop an allergic reaction or a severe rash, they should stop taking Tamiflu and contact their healthcare professional immediately, as it may be very serious. People with the flu, particularly children and adolescents, may be at an increased risk of abnormal behavior leading to injury, and in some cases resulting in fatal outcomes, when taking Tamiflu. Confusion shortly after taking Tamiflu has been reported, and patients should be closely monitored for signs of unusual behavior. A healthcare professional should be contacted immediately if the patient taking Tamiflu shows any signs of unusual behavior.

The most common side effects are mild to moderate nausea and vomiting.

For additional important safety information, please visit www.tamiflu.com.

About Genentech Founded more than 35 years ago, Genentech is a leading biotechnology company that discovers, develops, manufactures and commercializes medicines to treat patients with serious or life-threatening medical conditions. The company, a member of the Roche Group, has headquarters in South San Francisco, California. For additional information about the company, please visit http://www.gene.com.

References

¹ Tamiflu Prescribing Information

² CDC, "What You Should Know About Flu Antiviral Drugs" http://www.cdc.gov/flu/antivirals/whatyoushould.htm

³ Tamiflu Prescribing Information

⁴ CDC, "CDC Says 'Take 3' Actions To Fight The Flu," http://www.cdc.gov/flu/protect/preventing.htm

⁵ FDA "Tamiflu (oseltamivir phosphate) information," http://www.fda.gov/Drugs/DrugSafety/PostmarketDrugSafetyInformationforPatientsandProviders/ucm107838.htm

⁶ CDC "Updated Interim Recommendations for the Use of Antiviral Medications in the Treatment and Prevention of Influenza for the 2009-2010 Season," http://www.cdc.gov/H1N1flu/recommendations.htm (December 7, 2009)

⁷ Ward et al. "Oseltamivir (Tamiflu) and its potential for use in the event of an influenza pandemic. Journal of Antimicrobial Chemotherapy (2005) Page 4 http://jac.oxfordjournals.org/cgi/reprint/55/suppl_1/i5.pdf

⁸ FDA "Tamiflu Label History, NDA 021087". http://www.accessdata.fda.gov/scripts/cder/drugsatfda/index.cfm?fuseaction=Search.DrugDetails;

⁹ More than 68 million people worldwide have used Tamiflu.

¹⁰ FDA, "Flu Antiviral Drugs and Related Information" http://www.fda.gov/drugs/drugsafety/informationbydrugclass/ucm100228.htm