Tamiflu® approved for the treatment and Prevention of influenza in the UAE

Leading Expert To Unveil The New Oral Treatment for Influenza

Dubai, 5 February 2002: Everyone is at risk of developing influenza, a highly contagious viral illness that is transmitted from person to person through sneezing and/or coughing. Large groups of people are particularly susceptible. For example, the Hajj season, where up to two million people will gather in Mecca, presents a particularly high-risk scenario, even with the highest levels of public cleanliness in place!

That risk however can be significantly reduced, as can the overall fight against influenza, through a powerful new weapon. It is announced today, that Tamiflu (oseltamivir) - a medicine that can stop influenza from stopping you, has been approved by the UAE Ministry of Health for the treatment and prevention of influenza in the Emirates.

Tamiflu is one of a new class of medicines - neuraminidase inhibitors - designed to specifically target the influenza virus. Tamiflu is available in convenient capsule form, and is designed to be active against all clinically relevant influenza viruses - any strain, any year. Clinical data submitted in support of its application show that patients feel better sooner and return to normal activity faster with Tamiflu.1

"Outbreaks of influenza affect all of the population, young and old alike", said Prof. John Oxford, a professor of virology at the London School of Medicine, and the co-author of a number of texts on Influenza. "The availability of the new neuraminidase inhibitors is an important step forward to manage this debilitating and deadly disease."

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Professor Oxford is currently on a tour to the UAE, Saudi Arabia and Kuwait to officially unveil this new treatment, following the approval on the new medication received from the respective ministries of Health in these countries.

Influenza is a highly contagious viral illness, which typically occurs during the winter months. Unlike the common cold, it is characterised by a sudden and rapid onset of symptoms, which affect the whole body. Every year, 100 million people are affected in Europe, Japan and the USA alone.2

Sufferers currently take cough and cold preparations and medication that reduce high fever, in an effort to fight the disease - however these medications merely address the symptoms. And, although antibiotics may be useful to treat secondary complications, they have no effect on the underlying viral infection. The fight against influenza has gained a powerful new weapon in Tamiflu, which stops influenza in its tracks. It is one of a new class of medicines, designed to specifically target the influenza virus.

Studies have shown that Tamiflu reduces the severity of influenza symptoms, including fever and cough by up to 40 percent if taken within the first two days after the start of symptoms3 - the earlier the better!

Tamiflu is already available for the treatment of influenza in a number of countries world-wide including the United States, Canada, Japan, Australia, Switzerland and many Latin American countries. It is also approved in the US for the prevention of influenza in adolescents and adults and for the treatment of influenza in children aged one year and above. Over two million patients have been treated with Tamiflu since its launch.

Headquartered in Basel, Switzerland, Roche is one of the world's leading research-oriented healthcare groups in the fields of pharmaceuticals. Roche's innovative products and services address prevention, diagnosis and treatment of diseases, thus enhancing people's well-being and quality of life.

Man builds its Man AP Product Family

Man AP Strategic Series 1 Ltd - an alternative investment opportunity built on solid foundations

(Dubai- 5 February 2002) - Man Investment Products, a leading international alternative investment manager and part of Man Group plc, announced today at the Hedge Funds World event which is taking place in Dubai that it will soon launch its latest capital guaranteed structured product. Man AP Strategic Series 1 Ltd (Man AP Strategic), which will be available in both US$-Class and Euro-Class Bonds, targets medium-term annualised growth of around 14-16%1 for each Class of Bond while aiming to restrict volatility to around 10-11%1. Man Investment Products is part of Man Group, a leading international financial services business that is listed on the London Stock Exchange and is a constituent of the FTSE 100 index of leading shares.

Man AP Strategic is an important addition to the Man AP product family, which was established just over two years ago. The defining feature of this product family is its conservative risk-adjusted target returns. The first product in this family, Man-AP Stratum Ltd, was designed to target annualised growth of 16 - 18% while seeking to limit the associated risk. It has outperformed this target range to date but still maintained impressively low volatility.

Man AP Strategic aims to continue this conservative investment theme but takes a more defensive approach than Man-AP Stratum.Man AP Strategic will provide investors access to Man's successful managed futures programme, the AHL Institutional Portfolio, as well as complementary arbitrage and equity hedge styles implemented by a range of carefully selected advisers.

A capital guarantee2 by a first class bank ensures investors the return of at least the face value of the bonds they hold at maturity, subject to relevant terms and conditions. In addition, a profit lock-in feature will allow a portion of net new trading profits to be locked in following periods of sustained profitability for Man AP Strategic, with the agreement of the guarantor bank, meaning that the guarantee level may rise.

"Increasingly, investors realise the importance of diversifying their portfolios to minimise risk," says öAntoine Massad, associate director and head of Middle East and Asia at Man Investment Products. "Man AP Strategic Series 1 Ltd is likely to appeal to investors seeking diversification because of its potential to generate absolute returns independently of the future outlook for equity markets. Our ability to generate profits in rising but also falling markets was again demonstrated clearly during last year."Man AP Strategic will be available to investors from 11 February 2002 to 22 March 2002, with a possible extension to the offer period.