Roche announces global distribution agreement for its Biochemical Reagents product portfolio with Sigma-Aldrich

-- Sigma-Aldrich's supply chain and eCommerce strength will allow broader availability and accessibility of products to customers

PLEASANTON, California, March 19, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- Roche (SIX: RO, ROG; OTCQX: RHHBY) announced today a global distribution agreement for its Biochemical Reagents product portfolio with Sigma-Aldrich Corporation (NASDAQ: SIAL). These products include kits and enzymes for cellular analysis, proteomics and conventional PCR applications. Under the terms of the agreement, Sigma-Aldrich will acquire exclusive rights for worldwide distribution of these products. Roche remains the legal manufacturer of the products.

"With this agreement, we are able to provide more customers with access to high-quality Roche Biochemical Reagents products through Sigma-Aldrich's expanded eCommerce and distribution networks," said Paul Brown, Head of Roche Molecular Diagnostics. "In addition, this will allow us the flexibility to devote more resources in our focus areas."

"Sigma-Aldrich is excited to offer the global scientific community access to Roche's leading portfolio of scientific tools and reagents. The addition of these life science tools supports our strategy to augment our portfolio with products that accelerate customer scientific research programs," said Eric Green, Executive Vice President and President, Sigma-Aldrich Research. "We look forward to working with Roche in this relationship."

Transition of the Roche portfolio to Sigma-Aldrich is expected to take place in 2015. In the interim, these products will continue to be available through existing Roche channels. For more information, visit www.lifescience.roche.com or www.sigma-aldrich.com.

About Sigma-Aldrich

Sigma-Aldrich, a leading Life Science and Technology company focused on enhancing human health and safety, manufactures and distributes 250,000 chemicals, biochemicals and other essential products to more than 1.4 million customers globally in research and applied labs as well as in industrial and commercial markets. With three distinct business units - Research, Applied and SAFC Commercial - Sigma-Aldrich is committed to enabling science to improve the quality of life. The Company operates in 37 countries, has approximately 9,300 employees worldwide and had sales of $2.79 billion in 2014. For more information about Sigma-Aldrich, please visit its website at www.sigma-aldrich.com.

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, immunology, infectious diseases, ophthalmology and neuroscience. Roche is also the world leader in in vitro diagnostics and tissue-based cancer diagnostics, and a frontrunner in diabetes management. Roche's personalised healthcare strategy aims at providing medicines and diagnostics that enable tangible improvements in the health, quality of life and survival of patients. Founded in 1896, Roche has been making important contributions to global health for more than a century. Twenty-four medicines developed by Roche are included in the World Health Organization Model Lists of Essential Medicines, among them life-saving antibiotics, antimalarials and chemotherapy.

In 2014, the Roche Group employed 88,500 people worldwide, invested 8.9 billion Swiss francs in R&D and posted sales of 47.5 billion Swiss francs. Genentech, in the United States, is a wholly owned member of the Roche Group. Roche is the majority shareholder in Chugai Pharmaceutical, Japan. For more information, please visit roche.com.

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For media inquiries please contact:

Bob Purcell, Roche Molecular Diagnostics
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Silvia Zucca, Italy
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Francisco Aguilar-Alvarez, Spain
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Eudes de Villiers, France
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Banu Kutlu, Turkey
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Harald Borrmann, Switzerland
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Kate Hoile, UK
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Jan Schreiber, Germany
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