MIRCERA Abstracts Ranked Among the Best at Upcoming European Nephrology Congress

BASEL, Switzerland, June 15 /PRNewswire/ -- Eight presentations regarding Roche's new anti-anaemia drug MIRCERA(R) currently awaiting approval worldwide, will feature strongly at the upcoming European Renal Association-European Dialysis and Transplant Association (ERA-EDTA) Congress in Barcelona Spain, June 21st to 24th 2007. Three MIRCERA abstracts have received the accolade of being among the top eight best abstracts (out of 1191) accepted by the congress this year.

In addition, Roche's current anaemia treatment NeoRecormon(R) has 3 poster presentations of data from its ongoing GAIN, IRIDIEM and ORAMA studies.

Details of the MIRCERA and NeoRecormon results will be available concurrent with when they are presented at the congress. Please note all information presented at the annual meeting is embargoed for media release until one hour after the time of presentation.

    
    Summary of presentations
    Author           Abstract Title               Presentation   Date & Time
                                                     Type         of
                                                                      
    Presentation
    MIRCERA
    Presentations
    Mann et al.      C.E.R.A. provides stable        Oral         09:00 -
                     haemoglobin (Hb) levels in CKD               10:30
    (Awarded best    patients on dialysis with and
    abstract)        without coronary artery disease              Sunday,
    June
                     (CAD) or diabetes mellitus (DM)              24
                     when administered once monthly
    Ryckelynck et    Once-monthly C.E.R.A. maintains Oral         09:00 -
    al.              stable haemoglobin                           10:30
                     concentrations in dialysis
    (Awarded best    patients regardless of gender                Sunday,
    June
    abstract)        or age                                       24
    Walker et al.    C.E.R.A. corrects anaemia and   Oral         09:00 -
                     maintains stable haemoglobin                 10:30
    (Awarded best    (Hb) levels at extended
    abstract)        administration intervals in a                Sunday,  
    June
                     52-week study of patients with               24
                     chronic kidney disease (CKD)
                     not on dialysis
    Imbasciati et    Stable haemoglobin (Hb) levels  Oral         09:00 -
    al.              are maintained with                          10:30
                     once-monthly C.E.R.A. in
                     dialysis patients with varying               Sunday,
    June
                     C-reactive protein (CRP),                    24
                     albumin or dialysis adequacy
    Chanu et al.     Pharmacokinetic parameters of   Poster
                     C.E.R.A. are not affected by
                     age in patients with chronic                 10.30 to
                     kidney disease on dialysis                   12.00 hrs

                                                                  Saturday,
                                                                  June 23
    Chanu et al.     Pharmacokinetics of C.E.R.A.    Poster       10.30 to
                     and stable maintenance of                    12.00 hrs
                     haemoglobin (Hb) levels with
                     once-monthly dosing in                       Saturday,
                     patients with chronic kidney                 June 23
                     disease (CKD)
    Locatelli et al. The effect of iron status on    Poster       10.30 to
                     haemoglobin (Hb) stability in                12.00 hrs
                     patients with chronic kidney
                     disease (CKD) treated with                   Saturday,
                     once-monthly C.E.R.A.                        June 23
    Saueressig et    Staff time and costs for        Poster       10.30 to
    al.              anaemia management with                      12.00 hrs
                     erythropoietic stimulating
                     agents in patients on                        Saturday,
                     haemodialysis                                June 23
    NeoRecormon
    Presentations
    Wanner et al.    The IRIDIEM survey: CVD         Poster       10.30 to
                     parameters in patients with                  12.00 hrs
                     chronic kidney disease and type
                     2 diabetes are consistently                  Friday,
    June
                     under target                                 22
    Locatelli et al. Do guideline-based computer     Poster       10.30 to
                     prompts improve clinical                     12.00 hrs
                     practice in dialysis patients?
                     - preliminary results of ORAMA               Saturday,
                     study                                        June 23
    Rath et al.      Hb management in GAIN: dose     Poster       10.30 to
                     saving and administration                    12.00 hrs
                     frequency - final results
                                                                  Saturday,
                                                                  June 23

Interested journalists may view the meeting schedule online at http://www.eraedta2007.org.

For more information, please contact: Sheila Gies at Roche, Tel: +973-235-4347, Mobile: +973-687-0188, Diane Lorton at Galliard Healthcare, Tel: +44-(0)207663-2265, Mobile: +44-(0)7811-358-698