Avastin Label Change

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See below for the update from Genetech on the changes in the labeling. More to

follow.

Priscilla A. Savary

Executive Director

Colorectal Cancer Network

PO Box 182, Kensington MD 20895

psavary@...

www.colorectal-cancer.net

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NEWS RELEASE

Media Contact: Colleen

Investor Contact: Kathee Littrell

Advocacy Contact: Cheya Pope

GENENTECH FINALIZES AVASTIN LABEL WITH

PREVIOUSLY ANNOUNCED SAFETY INFORMATION

SOUTH SAN FRANCISCO, Calif. - January 6, 2005 - Genentech, Inc. (NYSE: DNA)

today announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved an

updated product label for AvastinT (bevacizumab), which is approved in

combination with intravenous 5-Fluorouracil-based chemotherapy as a treatment

for patients with first-line-or previously untreated-metastatic colorectal

cancer. The updated product label is in follow-up to the letter issued to

healthcare providers in August 2004, regarding an increased risk of arterial

thromboembolic events (ATEs) associated with the use of Avastin in combination

with chemotherapy. An analysis of 1,745 patients treated in Avastin clinical

trials showed that ATEs occurred in 4.4 percent patients treated with Avastin,

compared with 1.9 percent of patients who received chemotherapy alone. ATEs are

defined in the label as stroke, transient ischemic attacks (TIAs), heart attack,

angina and other arterial thromboembolic events. Some of these events were

fatal.

" We first notified healthcare providers in August and are informing them now

that the Avastin label has been updated, so they can use this information to

better assess the overall benefit/risk of treating their patients with Avastin, "

said Hal Barron, M.D., Genentech senior vice president, development and chief

medical officer. " We believe it's important to view the potential risk of these

events in context with Avastin's ability to improve overall survival in patients

with metastatic colorectal cancer, a disease with a life expectancy of less than

two years. "

The updated Avastin product label and " Dear Healthcare Provider " letter are

available by clicking the Avastin link on www.gene.com/gene/products. This

information also will be posted on the FDA's web site.

As previously highlighted in the letter distributed to healthcare providers last

year, advanced cancer patients over the age of 65 have an increased risk of

experiencing an ATE while receiving Avastin in combination with chemotherapy. In

an exploratory analysis from five clinical trials, there was a correlation

between age (65 years and over) and the increase in risk of ATEs. The clinical

benefit of Avastin, as measured by survival in the two principal arms of the

pivotal study, was seen in all subgroups tested, including patients over 65. The

subgroups examined were based on age, sex, race, ECOG performance status,

location of primary tumor, prior adjuvant therapy, number of metastatic sites

and tumor burden.

Avastin was approved by the FDA based on data from two trials. The pivotal trial

was a large, placebo-controlled, randomized study that demonstrated a

prolongation in the median survival of patients treated with Avastin plus the

IFL (5-FU/Leucovorin/CPT-11) chemotherapy regimen by approximately five months,

compared to patients treated with the IFL chemotherapy regimen alone (20.3

months versus 15.6 months). In addition, this study demonstrated an improvement

in progression-free survival of more than four months (10.6 months in the

Avastin/IFL arm compared to 6.4 months in the IFL-alone arm).

About Avastin

Avastin is a therapeutic antibody designed to inhibit Vascular Endothelial

Growth Factor (VEGF), a protein that plays an important role in tumor

angiogenesis and maintenance of existing tumor vessels. By binding to VEGF,

Avastin is designed to interfere with the blood supply to tumors, a process that

is critical to tumor growth and metastasis. Avastin received approval by the FDA

on February 26, 2004, to be used in combination with intravenous

5-Fluorouracil-based chemotherapy as a treatment for first-line metastatic

colorectal cancer. For full prescribing information, Boxed Warnings on Avastin

and information about angiogenesis, visit www.gene.com. For more information

about Avastin, visit www.avastin.com.

Last year the National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN), an alliance of 19 of

the world's leading cancer centers, updated their Colorectal Clinical Practice

Guidelines and added Avastin in combination with 5-Fluorouracil-based regimens -

including those using oxaliplatin or irinotecan - to its list of treatment

options for first-line advanced colon or rectal cancer.

Based on data showing that VEGF plays a broad role in a range of cancers,

Genentech is pursuing a late-stage clinical development program with Avastin

evaluating its potential use in various cancers, including renal cell (kidney),

breast and non-small cell lung cancers. Avastin also is being evaluated in

earlier stage trials as a potential therapy in prostate, ovarian, and several

types of solid tumor cancers, as well as in hematologic malignancies and

melanoma.

Avastin Safety Profile

The addition of Avastin to chemotherapy is generally well tolerated. In

Genentech-sponsored studies, the most serious adverse events associated with

Avastin were infrequent, and included gastrointestinal perforation, wound

healing complications, hemorrhage, arterial thromboembolic events, hypertensive

crisis, nephrotic syndrome and congestive heart failure. The most common Grade

3-4 adverse events (occurring in greater than two percent of patients in the

Avastin arm, compared to the control group) were asthenia, pain, hypertension,

diarrhea and leukopenia. The most common adverse events (occurring in greater

than two percent of patients in the Avastin arm, compared to the control group)

of any severity were asthenia, pain, abdominal pain, headache, hypertension,

diarrhea, nausea, vomiting, anorexia, stomatitis, constipation, upper

respiratory infection, epistaxis, dyspnea, exfoliative dermatitis and

proteinuria.

About Genentech BioOncology

Genentech is committed to changing the way cancer is treated by establishing a

broad oncology portfolio of innovative, targeted therapies with the goal of

improving patients' lives. The company is the leading provider of anti-tumor

therapeutics in the United States. Genentech is leading clinical development

programs for Rituxan® (Rituximab), Herceptin® (Trastuzumab), AvastinT

(bevacizumab) and TarcevaT (erlotinib), and markets all four products in the

United States alone (Avastin and Herceptin), with Biogen Idec Inc. (Rituxan) or

with OSI Pharmaceuticals (Tarceva). Genentech has licensed Rituxan, Herceptin,

Avastin and Tarceva to Roche for sale by the Roche Group outside of the United

States.

The company has a robust pipeline of potential oncology therapies with a focus

on four key areas: angiogenesis, apoptosis (i.e. programmed cell death), the HER

pathway and B-cell biology. Potential oncology therapies directed at the HER

pathway include a therapeutic antibody currently in Phase II trials. Also in

early development are a small molecule directed at the hedgehog pathway, a

soluble human protein targeting apoptosis and a humanized anti-CD20 antibody for

hematology/oncology indications.

Genentech is a leading biotechnology company that discovers, develops,

manufactures, and commercializes biotherapeutics for significant unmet medical

needs. A considerable number of the currently approved biotechnology products

originated from, or are based on, Genentech science. Genentech manufactures and

commercializes multiple biotechnology products directly in the United States,

and receives royalties or other income from companies that are licensed to

market its products outside of the United States. The company has headquarters

in South San Francisco, Calif., and is traded on the New York Stock Exchange

under the symbol DNA. For additional information about the company, please visit

please visit http://www.gene.com.

# # #

For full prescribing information, including Boxed Warnings for Avastin, please

call 1- or visit www.gene.com.