Roche and TeaRx Ltd. Sign License Agreement for Innovative Drugs Fighting Thrombosis, Stroke, and Embolism

BASEL, SWITZERLAND and MOSCOW--(Marketwire - May 26, 2011) - Roche (SWISS: RO) (SWISS: ROG) (OTCQX: RHHBY) (PINKSHEETS: RHHBY) and TeaRx Ltd. (TeaRx), member of ChemRar High Tech Centre, have signed a license agreement granting TeaRx development and commercialization rights for a novel treatment for patients at risk of thrombosis in Russia and 12 other countries. Royalties from resulting sales in these markets will be paid to Roche and the company may negotiate rights in further territories.

Under the terms of the agreement, Roche will provide TeaRx with clinical candidates belonging to a new class of oral Factor Xa inhibitors. TeaRx will develop these innovative compounds in Russia, and initiate clinical studies which are expected to begin in 2012. Roche will co-invest into the project by manufacturing the API material (active ingredient) for the early clinical studies in a high tech facility in the USA. TeaRx will produce the final formulation in Russia.

TeaRx will conduct clinical studies to prevent deep venous thrombosis (DVT) and pulmonary embolism (PE) in patients undergoing orthopedic and general surgery. They will also conduct clinical studies for other potential indications like the prevention of thrombotic events (stroke) in risk patients with atrial fibrillation (AF).

Cerebrovascular disease, as stroke is known to Doctors, is actually the second leading cause of death worldwide, counting for about 10% of all deaths, according to the WHO. Stroke prevention is one of the priorities of the WHO worldwide programs, and the new drug developed by TeaRx can play a major role in this endeavor.

"This agreement will finally bring an innovative medicine to patients at high risk of stroke and thrombosis in countries with a high disease prevalence and mortality. This new partnership with ChemRar, in line with Pharma 2020, a significant Government initiative aimed at accelerating development of the Russian pharmaceutical industry, is the result of good experience with an earlier partnership in the HIV field," said Milos Petrovic, General Manager of Roche Moscow Ltd. and Head of Roche Representative Office in Russia.

Tuygan Goeker, Roche Regional Head for CEMAI (Central & Eastern Europe, Middle East, Africa, Indian sub-continent) added: "Our partnership with TeaRx builds on Roche's innovation strategy in growing markets like Russia. The compounds licensed to TeaRx will help to foster the Russian BioCluster/Incubator that Roche has worked with successfully in the past, and continues to support. Roche will pursue its search for innovative products and creative partnerships in the emerging markets that will strengthen our efforts to make differentiated medicines available to the patients in need."

Andrey Ivashchenko, Chairman of ChemRar, commented: "We welcome Roche's pioneering approach and support to developing the innovative Pharma market in Russia. With this TeaRx deal, ChemRar extends its existing partnering with Roche in combating AIDS, by co-investing in a best in class antithrombotic treatment, which upon approval will be produced in Russia and exported to many other countries."

Nikolay Savchuk, Chairman of TeaRx, said: "We are honored that Roche extended its partnership with the ChemRar group and selected TeaRx to license a highly interesting clinical candidate for development of a novel treatment. Thrombosis is taking numerous lives in Russia every day and novel safe treatments are overdue. This drug, if successfully launched, will help to save lives of stroke patients and increase success and post-operational safety in hospitals in Russia and other countries. We expect the drug to become best in class to successfully compete against existing and recently developed therapeutics."

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 personalized healthcare strategy aims at providing medicines and diagnostic tools that enable tangible improvements in the health, quality of life and survival of patients.

In 2010, Roche had over 80,000 employees worldwide and invested almost 9 billion Swiss francs in R&D.

The Group posted sales of over 47.16 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.

About TeaRx
TeaRx Ltd., a member of BioPharm Cluster "Northern" (Moscow), is a young innovative company, established at the ChemRar High Tech Centre, and funded by ChemRar Ventures. The company is involved in the development of drugs for the prevention of thrombosis-related illnesses, such as stroke and embolism. TeaRx plans to conduct clinical studies in Russia, using the experience and knowledge of Russian scientists.

About "ChemRar" High Tech Centre
ChemRar High-Tech Centre is the country's premier BioTech incubator, working on discovering and developing innovative drugs within the Pharma 2020 program of the Russian government. ChemRar has licensed a number of highly innovative development candidates from Big Pharma and foreign BioTech companies, and Academic Institutions, and is building a unique portfolio of Russian-developed drugs in most urgent medical needs, such as Cancer, Central Nervous System, Infectious Diseases, and CardioMetbolic Diseases. CHT ChemRar performs a full cycle of pre-clinical and clinical research of new molecules including screening and identification of the essential biological targets for new molecules, synthesis and research of new molecules as well as full cycle of production.