Roche Applied Science Opens Application Support Center in Shanghai

SHANGHAI--(Business Wire)--
Roche Applied Science today announced the opening of the new Application Support
Center (ASC) in Shanghai, China. Staffed with experts skilled in applying a
broad range of technologies to a diverse range of life science research topics,
the center will serve researchers across Asia Pacific in their daily work with
technical advice.

Customers will be offered hotline support for all Roche Applied Science products
free of charge. In support of today's researcher needs, Roche is strengthening
technical support, and bringing it both culturally and geographically closer to
customers in the Asia Pacific region. The objective is to accelerate projects of
Roche customers. In the near future, the ASC will expand by opening lab
facilities, providing laboratory support for customers´ experiments and
performing trainings and demos of Roche instruments.

This investment by RAS in Shanghai continues a trend of increasing Roche
investment in Asia Pacific exemplified by Roche Pharma R & D operations in
Shanghai, and the Roche Diagnostics Asia Pacific Training Center in Bangkok,
Thailand.

"Roche is focused on innovation. Our objective is to support researchers, not
only with innovative products, but also with excellent service, enabling faster
discoveries in life science research," states Roland Diggelmann, Head of Roche
Diagnostics APAC.

About Roche

Headquartered in Basel, Switzerland, Roche is a leader in research-focused
healthcare with combined strengths in pharmaceuticals and diagnostics. Roche is
the world`s largest biotech company with truly differentiated medicines in
oncology, virology, inflammation, metabolism and CNS. Roche is also the world
leader in in-vitro diagnostics, tissue-based cancer diagnostics and a pioneer in
diabetes management. Roche`s personalised healthcare strategy aims at providing
medicines and diagnostic tools that enable tangible improvements in the health,
quality of life and survival of patients.

In 2008, Roche had over 80,000 employees worldwide and invested almost 9 billion
Swiss francs in R&D. The Group posted sales of 45.6 billion Swiss francs.
Genentech, United States, is a wholly owned member of the Roche Group. Roche has
a majority stake in Chugai Pharmaceutical, Japan. For more information:
www.roche.com.

All trademarks used or mentioned in this release are protected by law.

Roche Diagnostics
Dr. Burkhard Ziebolz
Phone: +49 8856 604830
Email: burkhard.ziebolz@roche.com

Copyright Business Wire 2009