Roche Holding AG (ROG.VX) Chief Executive Severin Schwan said Wednesday that Roche plans to launch a bond to help finance the planned takeover of U.S. biotech Genentech Inc (DNA) as soon as it has launched a public tender offer for its shares.

Schwan was speaking to reporters in Basel at a media conference to detail full-year earnings.

"As soon as the tender offer stands, we will launch bonds which will serve as a base for further talks on financing the deal."

He declined to say in which currencies the bonds would be denominated.

Last Friday, Roche launched a hostile bid to buy the roughly 44% of the U.S. biotech company that it doesn't already own, after its earlier friendly offer was rejected.

Roche invested heavily in research and development in 2008 because a number of products entered the expensive last phase of clinical testing.

"This is a trend that will continue in 2009," Schwan said.

Schwan said he expects Roche's workforce to remain stable in 2009.

Schwan also said Roche isn't currently buying Genentech shares in the open market.

Company Web site: http://www.roche.com

-By Anita Greil, of Dow Jones Newswires; +41 443 8040; anita.greil@dowjones.com

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