ROCHE DIAGNOSTICS SHOWCASES NEW ACCU-CHEK® AVIVA SYSTEM AT ADA SHOW
Accu-Chek Aviva system combines ease-of-use with innovative features

Today at the American Diabetes Association Scientific Sessions, Roche Diagnostics, a leader in diabetes care products and services, showcased its Accu-Chek Aviva system, its newest blood glucose system for the management of diabetes. The system will be available for consumers during the third quarter. In addition, Roche Diagnostics Diabetes Care, a business area of Roche Diagnostics, discussed its Circle of Care approach, a team-based concept of patients, healthcare providers and others working together for better self management of diabetes.

“The Circle of Care approach is team-based with the patient, healthcare providers, patient care groups, employers, insurers, policy makers and others, all working together to collect information, analyze the data, and act on key learnings to improve patient care,” said Don Dumoulin, Vice President and General Manager of Diabetes Care, Roche Diagnostics . “The goal is to enhance patient quality of life, achieve better clinical outcomes, and create economic efficiencies.”

The Accu-Chek Aviva system was developed in response to extensive market research performed in the United States and Europe . As a result, it provides users with the features that are most important to them and helps them test right the first time, so every strip counts and allowing them to avoid the pain of retesting.

The innovative and easy-to-use test strip design is one of the unique aspects of the Accu-Chek Aviva system. A wide mouth on the Accu-Chek Aviva test strip quickly pulls in the small blood sample (0.6 µL) and is designed to fill the very first time. The test strips are larger and wider than other leading systems, making them easier to handle. In addition, there are 198 internal quality checks built in to the Accu-Chek Aviva system to detect and prevent unreliable results . It also features a fast test time (5 seconds) and allows users the choice of testing on six different areas on their body. The meter is a small, easy-to-handle device with a user-friendly design including intuitive buttons and a large screen to ensure optimum visibility.

The Aviva system can also sound a test reminder up to four times per day, and the real-time clock backup maintains the time and memory for up to 72 hours if the battery has expired. The Accu-Chek Aviva system provides data averaging over periods of 7, 14, and 30 days, in addition to storing the results of 500 tests in memory. These features allow people with diabetes and their healthcare providers to evaluate trends and improve long-term management of blood glucose levels.

The Accu-Chek Aviva system is packaged with the Accu-Chek Multiclix® lancet device. The Accu-Chek Multiclix lancet device has a patented, lancet drum with six preloaded lancets, which provides more convenience and improves safety by reducing accidental finger-sticks of handling individual lancets. With no lancets to see or handle, a patented cam-driven design, 11 different depth settings and alternate site testing, the Accu-Chek Multiclix lancet device is the least painful testing option¹.

The Accu-Chek Aviva system is just one component in the Circle of Care approach which includes the entire healthcare team, products, services and technologies that help people with diabetes to better manage their health. Blood glucose monitoring products, insulin delivery systems, and data management decision tools continue to evolve, making it simpler and faster for patients to self manage their diabetes. Product innovations, such as shorter test times, small test samples, alternate site testing, and innovations in pump therapy and data management, help improve the ability for greater control and assessments of glycemic status.

The Accu-Chek Aviva system is now available in The Netherlands, Sweden , Denmark and Finland and will be launched in additional countries within the next month.

Since consistent blood glucose monitoring is critical for maintaining a healthy lifestyle, the new Accu-Chek Aviva system is part of a broad portfolio of diabetes management tools developed by Roche Diagnostics to meet the diverse needs of people with diabetes. These tools include the blood glucose monitoring portfolio of Accu-Chek Compact, Accu-Chek Advantage, Accu-Chek Active and Accu-Chek Voicemate meters, as well as the Accu-Chek Softclix lancet device. In addition, Accu-Chek diabetes management software also is available for convenient data entry and storage. For additional information about these products offered by Roche Diagnostics, please visit www.accu-chek.com

About Roche and the Roche Diagnostics Division

Headquartered in Basel , Switzerland , Roche is one of the world's leading research-intensive healthcare groups. Its core businesses are pharmaceuticals and diagnostics. As a supplier of innovative products and services for the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of disease, the Group contributes on a broad range of fronts to improving people's health and quality of life. Roche is a world leader in Diagnostics, the leading supplier of medicines for cancer and transplantation and a market leader in virology. In 2004, the Pharmaceuticals Division generated 21.7 billion Swiss francs in prescription drug sales, while the Diagnostics Division posted sales of 7.8 billion Swiss francs. Roche employs roughly 65,000 people in 150 countries and has R&D agreements and strategic alliances with numerous partners, including majority ownership interests in Genentech and Chugai. Roche's Diagnostics Division, with a uniquely broad product portfolio, supplies a wide array of innovative testing products and services to researchers, physicians, patients, hospitals and laboratories world-wide.

As part of the division, Roche Diabetes Care has been a pioneer in the development of blood glucose monitoring systems and is a global leader in providing comprehensive diabetes care. This means offering people with diabetes innovative products and services reaching from blood glucose monitoring through data management to insulin delivery. For 30 years, Diabetes Care has been committed to making living easier for people with diabetes and for healthcare professionals by providing innovative products and services which make diabetes management easier, more effective and cost efficient. Its main products are the family of Accu-Chek blood glucose meters, test strips, lancing and data management systems, including the Accu-Chek Compact meter, Accu-Chek Voicemate meter and Accu-Chek Softclix lancet device.

Roche Diagnostics' North American headquarters is located in Indianapolis , Ind. ( www.roche-diagnostics.us ) For further information, please visit our websites www.roche.us and www.roche-diagnostics.com.

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¹Koubek, R.J. (2005). Glucose Monitoring System Design Reduces Barriers to Testing , ACCU-CHEKAviva System and ACCU-CHEKMulticlix lancet device Human Factors White Paper.

ACCU-CHEK, ACCU-CHEK COMPLETE, ACCU-CHEK AVIVA, ACCU-CHEK COMPACT, ACCU-CHEK COMPLETE, ACCU-CHEK MULTICLIX, ADVANTAGE and SOFTCLIX are trademarks of Roche