Roche's Anaemia Therapies to Feature Strongly at Upcoming World Congress of Nephrology

BASEL, Switzerland, April 16 /PRNewswire/ -- Nephrologists attending the upcoming World Congress of Nephrology (WCN) in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil 21-25 April will hear about a wide range of study results from Roche's robust renal anaemia clinical trial programs for its two treatments -- MIRCERA(R) and NeoRecormon(R).

Among the highlights will be two analyses on MIRCERA, Roche's new continuous erythropoietin receptor activator that is awaiting regulatory approval worldwide. The oral and poster presentations review MIRCERA's once monthly haemoglobin stability in the dialysis setting with different patient populations; and new safety data which shows the rate of haemoglobin decline after withholding once monthly MIRCERA treatment.

Eight posters feature results from trials with Roche's first anaemia drug, NeoRecormon. Highlights include further results from the GAIN trial, an observational, prospective study assessing the management of renal anaemia in more than 4,000 haemodialysis patients within everyday clinical practice in 13 European countries; three posters from the IRIDIEM study investigating anaemia management in chronic kidney disease patients with Type 2 diabetes and three posters discussing the preliminary results from the ORAMA study, which used a guideline-based computerized system for clinical decision making.

Details of the study 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 the time of presentation.

    
            Author            Abstract Title     Presentation  Date & Time of
                                                     Type       Presentation

    MIRCERA Presentations
    Author: M. Heifets and Hemoglobin (Hb)          Poster   Sunday, 22 April
    F. Dougherty           Decline After                           2007
                           Withholding C.E.R.A.
                           Administration is not
                           Influenced by
                           C.E.R.A.'s Long Half
                           Life.
    Author: R. Bernardo    C.E.R.A. Administered     Oral    Monday, 23 April
                           Once Monthly                            2007
                           Maintains Stable Hb
                           Levels in Patients
                           with CKD on Dialysis
                           Regardless of Age and
                           Gender.
    NeoRecormon
    Presentations
    Author: A. Weinreich   Effectiveness and        Poster   Sunday, 22 April
                           safety of haemoglobin                   2007
                           management with
                           epoetin beta -
                           results from the
                           12-month follow-up
                           period of GAIN.
    Author: A. Covic       Achievement of EBPG      Poster   Monday, 23 April
                           targets in Eastern                      2007
                           and Western Europe:
                           ORAMA preliminary
                           results.
    Author: I. MacDougall  Does a guideline         Poster   Monday, 23 April
                           based computerized                      2007
                           clinical decision
                           support system
                           improve Hb
                           attainment? - ORAMA
                           preliminary results.
    Author: A. Winkler     Treatment of renal       Poster   Monday, 23 April
                           anaemia in clinical                     2007
                           practice taking into
                           account the "European
                           Best Practice
                           Guidelines" (EBPG)
                           supported by a new
                           computer based system
                           (CDS).
    Author: P. Stevens     Cardiovascular           Poster     Tuesday, 24
                           comorbidity and                      April 2007

                           medicines management
                           in 1154 patients with
                           type 2 diabetes and
                           CKD: The IRIDIEM
                           survey.
    Author: P. Stevens     Anaemia management in    Poster     Tuesday, 24
                           1154 patients with                   April 2007
                           type 2 DM & CKD: A
                           snapshot of Europe
                           from the IRIDIEM
                           survey.
    Author: C. Wanner      Epidemiology,            Poster     Tuesday, 24
                           associated                           April 2007
                           comorbidities and
                           treatment management
                           in elderly patients
                           with CKD and type 2
                           diabetes mellitus.
    NeoRecormon Presentations Continued
    Author: P.M. Wee       Immediate pain           Poster     Time - To be
                           sensation is less                    Announced
                           with s.c. NeoRecormon
                           compared to s.c.
                           Aranesp

Interested journalists may view the meeting schedule online at http://www.wcn2007.org.

For more information, please contact:

Sheila Gies at Roche

Tel: +973-235-4347

Mobile: +973-687-0188

Abenaa Hayes at Weber Shandwick

Tel: +212-445-8337

Mobile: +646-418-7224

Sheila Gies at Roche, Tel: +973-235-4347, Mobile: +973-687-0188, Abenaa Hayes at Weber Shandwick, Tel: +212-445-8337, Mobile: +646-418-7224