AmeriPath Announces Agreement With Roche Diagnostics Molecular Center of Excellence; Jointly Developing Centers of Excellence.

Business Editors & Health/Medical Writers

RIVIERA BEACH, Fla. & INDIANAPOLIS--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Feb. 11, 2003

AmeriPath, Inc. (Nasdaq:PATH), a leading national provider of cancer diagnostics, genomic, and related information services, today announced it has signed a five-year strategic alliance agreement with Roche Diagnostics to establish a series of Molecular Centers of Excellence to perform esoteric genomic diagnostic testing using Roche's patented Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) and other advanced genomic technologies.

Molecular diagnostic testing offers the opportunity to expand and improve AmeriPath's diagnostic services to clients by providing more sensitive, more specific and faster results so that patient treatment can be improved. Molecular testing brings not only the ability to diagnose specific viral and bacterial pathogens, but also to monitor how much pathogen is present in the system, a feature which allows better treatment options. Further, molecular genetic testing will be used to provide highly accurate negative predictive values when screening for genetic mutations in cystic fibrosis and other diseases. AmeriPath intends to continue to leverage its strengths in this market through clinical trial and research and development work on new cancer and genomic molecular diagnostics.

"This agreement positions AmeriPath with the world's leading diagnostic company to become an early adopter in the coming explosion of advanced, esoteric molecular diagnostic testing," said Dennis Smith, AmeriPath's Executive Vice President of Genomic Strategies and Chief Medical Officer. "PCR technology provides a highly sensitive methodology for earlier detection of lower concentrations of target organisms with very high specificity in an expanding menu, including, but not limited to HIV, hepatitis, chlamydia, gonorrhea, and human papillomavirus (HPV), the causative agent for virtually all women's cervical cancer. We are very excited about working with Roche Diagnostics and the positive impact this will have on improving patient care. This partnership will provide AmeriPath with very early access to new assays and technologies. As we roll our Molecular Centers of Excellence concepts into our regional Center for Advanced Diagnostics `pod' labs, we believe this business model will further enhance the advantages of local access through superior turn-around time and world-class pathology resources. We fully expect this agreement to lead to other opportunities with Roche."

"With Roche Diagnostics being the world's leading diagnostics company, this is a perfect match with AmeriPath as a leading national provider of cancer diagnostics, genomics, and other information services," said Martin Madaus, President and CEO of Roche Diagnostics Corporation. "AmeriPath's extensive diagnostics infrastructure -- including the Center for Advanced Diagnostics -- is well positioned to help us shift the paradigm from reactive testing, diagnosing, treating, and monitoring to proactive detection. This allows for the delivery of actionable healthcare information, possibly before the onset of disease, leading to early intervention with treatment or a change in wellness habits."

AmeriPath is a leading national provider of cancer diagnostics, genomics, and related information services. The Company's extensive diagnostics infrastructure includes the Center for Advanced Diagnostics (CAD), a division of AmeriPath. CAD provides specialized diagnostic testing and information services including Fluorescence In-Situ Hybridization (FISH), Flow Cytometry, DNA Analysis, Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR, performed pursuant to an agreement with Roche Molecular Systems, Inc.), Molecular Genetics, Cytogenetics and HPV Typing. Additionally, AmeriPath provides clinical trial and research development support to firms involved in developing new cancer and genomic diagnostics and therapeutics.

Headquartered in Basel, Switzerland, Roche is one of the world's leading research-oriented healthcare groups. The company's two core businesses in pharmaceuticals and diagnostics provide innovative products and services that address prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of diseases, thus enhancing people's health and quality of life.

Roche Molecular Diagnostics, a business area of Roche Diagnostics, has made the Polymerase Chain reaction (PCR) the leading nucleic acid amplification technology (NAT) in the world. PCR technology allows minute amounts of genetic material to be amplified into billions of copies in just a few hours, thereby facilitating detection of the DNA or RNA of pathogenic organisms even before antibodies to these organisms are formed.

The two core businesses employ about 57,000 employees worldwide. Roche's Diagnostics Division, the world leader in in vitro diagnostics with a uniquely broad product portfolio, supplies a wide array of innovative testing products and services to researchers, physicians, patients, hospitals and laboratories worldwide. Roche Diagnostics' North American headquarters are located in Indianapolis, Indiana. For further information, please visit http://www.roche.com and http://www.roche-diagnostics.com.

The statements contained in this press release include "forward-looking statements'' within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements - which are sometimes identified by words such as "may," "should," "believe," "expect," "anticipate," "estimate" and similar expressions and which include any financial or operating estimates, forecasts or projections - are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties, many of which involve factors or circumstances that are beyond the Company's control. These risks and uncertainties could cause actual results to differ materially from results anticipated by forward-looking statements. These risks and uncertainties include: the extent of success of the Company's operating initiatives and growth strategies; ability to manage growth; access to capital on satisfactory terms; general economic conditions; terrorism or an escalation of hostilities or war; competition and changes in competitive factors; federal and state healthcare regulation (and compliance); reimbursement rates under government and third party healthcare programs and the payments received under such programs; changes in coding; changes in technology; dependence upon pathologists and customer contracts; the ability to attract, motivate, and retain pathologists; labor, technology and insurance costs; marketing and promotional efforts; the availability of pathology practices in appropriate locations that the Company is able to acquire on suitable terms or develop; and the successful completion and integration of acquisitions (and achievement of planned or expected synergies). The forward-looking statements in this press release are made as of the date hereof based on management's current beliefs and expectations, and the Company undertakes no obligation to update or revise any such statements. Further information regarding risks, uncertainties and other factors that could affect the Company's financial or operating results or that could cause actual results to differ materially from those expected, estimated or anticipated are included in the Company's annual, quarterly, and other reports and filings with the SEC.

Editor's Note: This release is also available at http://www.ameripath.com