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Roche Professional Diagnostics

Roche Diagnostics expands availability of HCV immunoassay

Rotkreuz, Switzerland (ots)

Roche Diagnostics announced today
that the Elecsys Anti-HCV (Hepatitis C Virus) assay has received
regulatory approval in Europe for the E 170 analyzer for MODULAR
ANALYTICS and the e 601 module for the cobas 6000 platform. The
Elecsys Anti-HCV assay is already available on the Elecsys 2010 and
the cobas e 411 instruments.
Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection represents a major cause of
death through the development of severe fibrosis, cirrhosis and
liver cancer. The principal mode of transmission is parenteral
exposure to infected blood or blood products i.e. insufficient blood
screening procedures mainly in developing countries, and contaminated
needles or other invasive medical tools. Most people with hepatitis C
became infected through blood transfusions received before 1992, the
year when improved blood screening tests became available.
Acute Hepatitis C infection is often asymptomatic and many people
are unaware that they are infected until they present with the
complications of liver disease. Therefore elevated liver enzymes are
often the first signs of chronic HCV infection. HCV antibody tests
are used for the primary diagnosis of hepatitis C virus infection in
patients with suspected liver disease.
"The addition of anti-HCV assay to the E 170 analyzer for MODULAR
ANALYTICS and the e601 module for the cobas 6000 platform
complements Roche's already comprehensive menu of hepatitis
immunodiagnostic and liver function assays, all of which can be
accurately and simultaneously measured on a single blood sample to
identify the underlying liver disorder" said Dirk Ehlers, Head of
Roche Professional Diagnostics. "The addition of the E 170 / cobas e
601 application for Anti-HCV is another important step in
demonstrating Roche's commitment to addressing our customers needs
in terms of laboratory efficiency and convenience".
The Elecsys Anti-HCV test will be available internationally upon
approval of the local regulatory agencies.
About Roche
Headquartered in Basel, Switzerland, Roche 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 totalled 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 www.roche.com.

Contact:

Thomas Klein, MD, MSc
Roche Diagnostics Ltd.
Phone: +41/41/798'71'35
E-Mail: thomas.klein.tk1@roche.com