Bowel cancer patients might not get an access to a potential life-extension drug, the health watchdog has claimed.

Bevacizumab (Avastin) might aid patients with increased bowel cancer which grows into other organs such as the liver and lungs.

The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (Nice) stated: `We have considered the drug, including a risk-sharing scheme from the manufacturer Roche, but still believes that the price is too high for the potential benefit.'

Geneva  - Swiss pharmaceutical giant Roche reported Thursday a better-than-expected third-quarter sales increase of 9.7 per cent and raised its full year outlook.

Roche said in a statement that full-year 2009 sales in both its pharmaceuticals and diagnostics divisions were expected "to grow well ahead of the market."

Lonza's cell culture biologic manufacturing facility in Singapore is to be bought by Roche subsidiary Genentech Singapore, declared Swiss drugmaker Roche and drugs industry supplier Lonza on Monday.

The facility carries a purchase price of $290 million plus up to a further $70 million in milestone payments. The facility would also be merged with Genentech Singapore's existing biologic manufacturing plant.

The transaction resulted largely due to Genentech Singapore exercising an option to purchase the facility.

Geneva - Roche AG, the Swiss pharmaceuticals giant, reported a drop in profits Thursday, but offered a bullish forecast on increasing sales, including for its flu and cancer drugs.

Net income in the first half of the year was down 29 per cent to 4.1 billion Swiss francs (3.84 billion dollars), which the company said was due to one-time costs related to the recent acquisition of Genentech, the United States-based biotech company.