Roche Diagnostics recognizes Poplar Healthcare as Roche Molecular Center of Excellence

Indianapolis, March 13, 2017

Strategic alliance network is designed to help accelerate advancement of new methods in molecular diagnostics testing and personalized healthcare

Roche (SIX: RO, ROG; OTCQX: RHHBY) announced today the establishment of a strategic alliance with Poplar Healthcare of Memphis, Tenn., that designates the company as a Roche Molecular Center of Excellence (MCOE) for the next five years.

Established in 2002, Roche’s MCOE network enables non-competing regional laboratories across the U.S. to collaborate and capitalize on scientific knowledge in molecular testing and, in turn, help accelerate the advancement of new test methods and technology.

“Roche is very pleased to welcome Poplar Healthcare into the Molecular Center of Excellence alliance,” said Whitney Green, senior vice president, commercial operations at Roche Diagnostics Corporation. “They bring great expertise in anatomic and molecular pathology, oncology and women’s health to the alliance, and we look forward to working together to implement molecular technologies for the advancement of personalized medicine.”

Poplar Healthcare is one of 35 labs in the U.S. that have received this recognition and joined in this strategic partnership with Roche. "This expanded relationship with Roche will help keep Poplar Healthcare on the forefront of diagnostics and precision medicine, and will help ensure that we are supporting physicians and their patients with the most advanced molecular technologies,” said Jim Sweeney, CEO at Poplar Healthcare.”

As a nationally recognized Roche MCOE, the Poplar Healthcare anatomic pathology and molecular diagnostics laboratories will offer physicians and patients some of the latest and most innovative molecular technologies, such as Roche’s cobas HPV Test for cervical cancer screening and companion diagnostics like the cobas EGFR Mutation Test to help physicians identify patients as candidates for therapies for non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC).

About Poplar Healthcare

Founded in 1995, and headquartered in Memphis, Tennessee, Poplar Healthcare is a leading laboratory services company. Through its GI Pathology, D-PATH, OncoMetrix,

UroPathDx and Women’s Health Laboratories brands, Poplar Healthcare provides specialized laboratory testing services to a nationwide client base of gastroenterologists, dermatologists, oncologists, urologists, gynecologists and their patients.

About the Roche Molecular Centers of Excellence (MCOE) network

Established in 2002, the Roche MCOE network includes about 30 leading U.S. diagnostic laboratories and provides a forum to collaborate on strategies to optimize the utilization of molecular solutions in laboratory testing. The network leverages the expertise of thought leaders at these institutions to advance current and emerging technologies—including molecular diagnostics, tissue diagnostics and sequencing—to help laboratories address healthcare challenges and contribute to improved patient care.

About Roche

Roche is a global pioneer in pharmaceuticals and diagnostics focused on advancing science to improve people’s lives. The combined strengths of pharmaceuticals and diagnostics under one roof have made Roche the leader in personalized healthcare – a strategy that aims to fit the right treatment to each patient in the best way possible.

Roche is the world’s largest biotech company, with truly differentiated medicines in oncology, immunology, infectious diseases, ophthalmology and diseases of the central nervous system. Roche is also the world leader in in vitro diagnostics and tissue-based cancer diagnostics, and a frontrunner in diabetes management.

Founded in 1896, Roche continues to search for better ways to prevent, diagnose and treat diseases and make a sustainable contribution to society. The company also aims for improving patient access to medical innovations by working with all relevant stakeholders. Twenty-nine medicines developed by Roche are included in the World Health Organization Model Lists of Essential Medicines, among them life-saving antibiotics, antimalarials and cancer medicines. Roche has been recognized as the Group Leader in sustainability within the Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences Industry eight years in a row by the Dow Jones Sustainability Indices (DJSI).

The Roche Group, headquartered in Basel, Switzerland, is active in over 100 countries and in 2016 employed more than 94,000 people worldwide. In 2016, Roche invested CHF 9.9 billion in R&D and posted sales of CHF 50.6 billion. 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 www.roche.com.

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