Roche to Continue as Exclusive Corporate Sponsor of JDRF Bag of Hope Program

INDIANAPOLIS, Nov. 17 /PRNewswire/ -- Roche announced today that it will continue as the exclusive corporate sponsor of the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (JDRF) Bag of Hope Program. The JDRF is a leader in setting the agenda for diabetes research worldwide and is the largest charitable funder and advocate of diabetes research worldwide.

Through the Bag of Hope Program, JDRF provides information, devices and emotional support tools to families of children who are newly diagnosed with type 1 diabetes. Bags are distributed through healthcare professionals, by local JDRF chapters or in person by JDRF outreach volunteers.

ACCU-CHEK(R) blood glucose testing kits and educational literature will be included in the Bag of Hope throughout the United States in 2009. Roche has been the exclusive sponsor of the JDRF program since 2003, providing nearly $6 million in cumulative support to date. In addition to the blood glucose meter, the bag contains educational books and tools as well as Rufus, the Bear with Diabetes. Rufus has become an emotional support for children with diabetes, and the bear's special patches teach children with type 1 diabetes about the correct sites for insulin injection.

"The JDRF Bag of Hope Program is a tremendous initiative that helps newly diagnosed children and their families ease the transition to better diabetes management," said Roche Director of Patient Marketing Linda Esposito. "Roche is committed to helping children with diabetes and their families maximize their quality of life and minimize long-term health challenges. We are proud to be an integral part of this incredible JDRF program again this year and are pleased we can make this announcement during National Diabetes Awareness Month."

"We are grateful for the ongoing support provided by Roche, which enables JDRF to offer this valuable resource to newly diagnosed families. We applaud their generosity, especially in these difficult economic times, and acknowledge that JDRF outreach programs and services are greatly enhanced as the result of their efforts," said Leo Mullin, Chairman of the Board for JDRF. "The Bag of Hope has become a touch point and a lifeline for families of children dealing with a diagnosis of diabetes," said Moira McCarthy Stanford, JDRF's National Volunteer Chair of Outreach. "Rufus and the other goodies that Roche makes available to families in the Bag of Hope are all wonderful tools that will soothe, support and motivate families during their time of need."

Through this partnership, approximately 12,000 Bags of Hope will be distributed to newly diagnosed families nationwide in 2009 through the outreach programs of more than 80 local JDRF chapters.

About JDRF

JDRF is a leader in setting the agenda for diabetes research worldwide and is the largest charitable funder and advocate of type 1 research. The mission of JDRF is to find a cure for diabetes and its complications through the support of research. Type 1 diabetes is a disease that strikes children and adults suddenly and requires multiple injections of insulin daily or a continuous infusion of insulin through a pump. Insulin, however, is not a cure for diabetes, nor does it prevent its eventual and devastating complications, which may include kidney failure, blindness, heart disease, stroke and amputation.

Since its founding in 1970 by parents of children with type 1 diabetes, JDRF has awarded more than $1.3 billion to diabetes research, including more than $156 million in FY2008. In FY2008, the foundation funded more than 1,000 centers, grants and fellowships in 22 countries.

About Roche Diabetes Care

Roche Diabetes Care is a pioneer in the development of blood glucose monitoring systems and a global leader for diabetes management systems and services. For more than 30 years, the ACCU-CHEK brand has been committed to helping people with diabetes live life as normally and actively as possible, as well as to help healthcare professionals manage their patients' condition in an optimal way. Today, the ACCU-CHEK portfolio offers people with diabetes and healthcare professionals innovative products and services and comprehensive solutions for convenient, efficient and effective diabetes management, from blood glucose monitoring through information management to insulin delivery. The ACCU-CHEK brand encompasses blood glucose meters, infusion pumps, lancing devices and data management systems.

For more information, please visit http://www.accu-chek.com .

About Roche

Headquartered in Basel, Switzerland, the Roche Group is one of the world's leading research-focused healthcare groups in the fields of pharmaceuticals and diagnostics. As the world's biggest biotech company and an innovator of products and services for the early detection, prevention, diagnosis and treatment of diseases, the Group contributes on a broad range of fronts to improving people's health and quality of life. Roche is the world leader in in vitro diagnostics and drugs for cancer and transplantation and is a market leader in virology. It is also active in other major therapeutic areas, such as autoimmune diseases, inflammatory and metabolic disorders and diseases of the central nervous system. In 2007, sales by the Pharmaceuticals Division totaled 36.8 billion Swiss francs, and the Diagnostics Division posted sales of 9.3 billion francs. Roche has R&D agreements and strategic alliances with numerous partners, including majority ownership interests in Genentech and Chugai, and invested over 8 billion Swiss francs in R&D in 2007. Worldwide, the Group employs about 79,000 people. Additional information is available on the Internet at http://www.roche.com .

    For further information, please contact:
    Julie Vincent
    Roche Diagnostics Corporation
    317-521-1910
    julie.vincent@roche.com

    Leslie Schwartz
    National Director, Media Relations
    Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation
    212.479.7553
    lschwartz@jdrf.org