-- All proposals of the Board of Directors approved 
 
   -- Christoph Franz re-elected as Chairman of the Board of Directors; all 
      current Board members re-elected 
 
   -- 34th consecutive dividend increase to CHF 9.10 per share 
 
 
   Basel, 16 March 2021 - Roche (SIX: RO, ROG; OTCQX: RHHBY) today 
announced that its shareholders approved all proposals of the Board of 
Directors at its ordinary Annual General Meeting (AGM). Owing to the 
pandemic restrictions, the AGM was held with only those persons required 
by the Articles of Incorporation in attendance and with no shareholders 
physically present. Roche shareholders were able to exercise their 
rights via written or electronically submitted instructions to the 
independent proxy, Testaris AG. The independent proxy represented 84.58% 
of the total of 160,000,000 shares. The Management Report, the Annual 
Financial Statements and the Consolidated Financial Statements for 2020 
were approved. 
 
   Christoph Franz was confirmed as Chairman of the Board of Directors with 
99.73% of the votes. In an address to the shareholders, which was 
published on the Internet today, he said: 
 
   "Considering the extraordinary situation due to the coronavirus crisis, 
our annual result is very solid. It enables us to raise the dividend for 
the 34th consecutive time to 9.10 Swiss francs per share. We are proud 
of the contributions that our Diagnostics and Pharmaceuticals Divisions 
have made to combating the pandemic. We were able to make 16 diagnostic 
solutions available in record time and are working closely together with 
partners on developing and producing treatment options for COVID-19. 
Despite the difficult conditions resulting from the pandemic, we were 
also able to achieve gratifying progress in our product pipeline. 19 new 
active ingredients are in the late stage of development -- an impressive 
success contributing to our endeavour to rejuvenate our portfolio." 
 
   Shareholders approved the total amount of the bonuses for the Corporate 
Executive Committee for 2020 by 99.73% of the votes and the total amount 
of the bonus of the Chairman of the Board of Directors for 2020 by 
99.45%. Furthermore, shareholders authorised the ratification of the 
Board of Directors' actions. 
 
   Shareholders approved the proposed appropriation of available earnings 
with 100% of the votes. They also approved an increase in the dividend 
for the past financial year from 9.00 to 9.10 Swiss francs (gross) per 
share and non-voting equity security. This is the 34th consecutive 
dividend increase. 
 
   In addition to Christoph Franz, all other Board members were re-elected 
for a term of one year: 
 
 
   -- André Hoffmann 
 
   -- Julie Brown 
 
   -- Paul Bulcke 
 
   -- Professor Hans Clevers 
 
   -- Dr Jörg Duschmalé 
 
   -- Dr Patrick Frost 
 
   -- Anita Hauser 
 
   -- Professor Richard P. Lifton 
 
   -- Bernard Poussot 
 
   -- Dr Severin Schwan 
 
   -- Dr Claudia Süssmuth Dyckerhoff 
 
 
   The following Board members were re-elected to the Remuneration 
Committee for a term of one year: 
 
 
   -- Dr Christoph Franz 
 
   -- André Hoffmann 
 
   -- Professor Richard P. Lifton 
 
   -- Bernard Poussot 
 
 
   Shareholders also approved the maximum total amount of future 
remuneration of the Board of Directors, which was confirmed by 99.51% of 
the votes, and the maximum total amount of future remuneration for the 
Corporate Executive Committee until the 2022 ordinary Annual General 
Meeting by 99.41% of the votes. 
 
   The Meeting elected Testaris AG as independent proxy until the 
conclusion of the 2022 ordinary Annual General Meeting and KPMG AG as 
external auditor for the financial year 2021. 
 
   As a precautionary and prudent measure, the Annual General Meeting of 
Roche Holding Ltd was conducted without the physical presence of 
shareholders, in accordance with Art. 8 of the Federal Act on the 
Statutory Principles for Federal Council Ordinances on Combating the 
COVID-19 Epidemic (COVID-19 Act) and Art. 27 of the Ordinance 3 on 
Measures to Combat the Coronavirus (COVID-19) (COVID-19 Ordinance 3). 
The Board of Directors regrets this decision, yet in view of the current 
situation there was no possibility of conducting the Annual General 
Meeting in its usual form. Roche had already communicated on 18 January 
2021 that shareholders would only be able to vote via the independent 
proxy. 
 
   The address to shareholders by Chairman of the Board Dr Christoph Franz 
will be available under a 
https://www.globenewswire.com/Tracker?data=NmvJC-Ttbk4K1-MF_izPso5ShDieO62gCBPu-3MV3NWwyNvnymSLvZvtzdzzILWNSMi8csy-9JeH5ZnmwmfOGGWlb7LoqUbNrTS3wxT_MBj9otUqCrySk53fZwg20pmV97epmQAzDxjrSFA8DJ7c1w== 
go.roche.com/agm21_CFaddress_ENscript. 
 
   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 personalised 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 to improve patient access to medical 
innovations by working with all relevant stakeholders. More than thirty 
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. Moreover, for the 
twelfth consecutive year, Roche has been recognised as one of the most 
sustainable companies in the Pharmaceuticals Industry by the Dow Jones 
Sustainability Indices (DJSI). 
 
   The Roche Group, headquartered in Basel, Switzerland, is active in over 
100 countries and in 2020 employed more than 100,000 people worldwide. 
In 2020, Roche invested CHF 12.2 billion in R&D and posted sales of CHF 
58.3 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 
https://www.globenewswire.com/Tracker?data=kJD7YpWu9BWzyvHcEETymrqz3c1v5dxEnN4FLPUnn4n-TjBnnJldpcxIj2IAm3yqjvQlXttBqUDbSrras_w3qg== 
www.roche.com. 
 
   Roche Group Media Relations 
 
   Phone: +41 61 688 8888 / e-mail: 
https://www.globenewswire.com/Tracker?data=bfheUnstBSs2Hl10sW34qyJol9-m7v8FfbT7iLlSKkFrQAth-Gmq7kZwE_I1yRr1A90AJKjgwRP3pQ8FG2O6sZmjtDzNCqcqZmNZBbigUxxTtGkPRsYMC_6QZK-6qgIn 
media.relations@roche.com 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Dr. Nicolas Dunant          Patrick Barth 
 Phone: +41 61 687 05 17     Phone: +41 61 688 44 86 
Dr. Daniel Grotzky          Karsten Kleine 
 Phone: +41 61 688 31 10     Phone: +41 61 682 28 31 
Nina Mählitz           Nathalie Meetz 
 Phone: +41 79 327 54 74     Phone: +41 61 687 43 05 
Dr. Barbara von Schnurbein 
 Phone: +41 61 687 89 67 
 
 
 
   Attachment 
 
 
   -- 16032021_MR_GV2021_english 
      https://ml-eu.globenewswire.com/Resource/Download/972a90a3-5b4d-413d-b3ae-3da19e610072

(END) Dow Jones Newswires

March 16, 2021 07:40 ET (11:40 GMT)