Heidelberg, October 18, 2012 – SYGNIS Pharma AG (Frankfurt: LIOK; ISIN
DE000A1E9B74; Prime Standard) announced today that its shareholders have
approved significant strategic and personnel changes of the company at yesterday's
Annual General Meeting. These changes are necessary following the suspended
clinical development activities in December 2011. Joining forces with X-Pol Biotech
S.L. ensures the continuation of the company, secures important expertise and a
sustainable business model.
SYGNIS’ new business focus is to develop and market X-Pol‘s DNA amplification
technologies and products. The company’s first exclusive global license agreement
was recently signed with Qiagen and validated the X-Pol technology platform. The
traditional activities of SYGNIS in the capital intensive and risky drug development
sector are now replaced by a new core business with a reliable revenue model. With
this pragmatic orientation of the business it is expected that first revenues will be
realized in 2013. In the medium term SYGNIS is aiming to develop a profitable
business.
SYGNIS will acquire 100% ownership of X-Pol by way of a capital increase against
contribution in kind and therefore X-Pol will become a 100% subsidiary of SYGNIS.
The former shareholders of X-Pol hold 77.5% of SYGNIS shares. As part of these
significant changes, the Supervisory and Management Boards of SYGNIS have been
aligned with the new company strategy and shareholder structure.
SYGNIS shareholders have elected the new Supervisory Board, which comprises:
former Spanish Minister of Science, Dr. Cristina Garmendia and Invitrogen founder
Dr. Joseph M. Fernández, two internationally recognized biotechnology experts.
Additionally, successful entrepreneurs Gonzalo Rodriguez-Fraile and Pedro Agustín
del Castillo were newly appointed to the Supervisory Board. Dr. Friedrich von Bohlen
und Halbach and Dr. Wolf-Dieter Starp, already members of the Supervisory Board,
have been re-appointed to the Board.
On a constituent meeting of the Supervisory Board following the AGM Dr. Cristina
Garmendia was elected as Chairwoman and Dr. Friedrich von Bohlen as Deputy
Chairman of the Supervisory Board. Furthermore, the committee decided the
appointment of Pilar de la Huerta, CEO of GENETRIX, as CEO of SYGNIS. In a
team together with Peter Willinger, CFO of SYGNIS, she will implement the strategy,
the operating plan and the integration of both companies under the new SYGNIS
structures. Dr. Frank Rathgeb, the longtime Chief Medical Officer of SYGNIS, who
has played a significant role in the recent realignment of SYGNIS, retires from the
Management Board of SYGNIS on October 31, 2012 in mutual agreement with the
Supervisory Board.
The new chairman of the Supervisory Board, Dr. Cristina Garmendia said: "It is an
honor to help shape this first merger between a German and a Spanish company in
the biotechnology industry, and it is my ultimate goal to lead SYGNIS to success in
the European and international markets."
Dr. Friedrich von Bohlen, Deputy Chairman of the Supervisory Board, added: "On
behalf of the departing Supervisory Board I would like to thank all those who have
helped create this new joint beginning with X-Pol. On behalf of the entire board, I
especially want to thank all the employees who have successfully promoted the
programs of SYGNIS in the past, even though clinical success unfortunately was
denied in the end. We also thank Dr. Frank Rathgeb for his untiring commitment and
many years of excellent work and wish him all the best for his future. Furthermore, I
would like to thank my board colleagues, Prof Dr. Andrea Pfeifer, Prof. Dr. Christof
Hettich, Prof. Dr. Werner Hacke and Prof. Dr. Wolfgang Hartwig for their excellent
cooperation, often under difficult conditions. I know that they will retain their close
connections with the company.”
The shareholders of SYGNIS agreed to all items of the agenda in the AGM.
At the AGM of SYGNIS 73% of the voting share capital was represented.
For further information:
SYGNIS Pharma AG
Peter Willinger
CFO
SYGNIS Pharma AG
Tel.: +49 6221 454 836
E-mail: peter.willinger@sygnis.de
About SYGNIS Pharma AG: www.sygnis.de
SYGNIS Pharma AG (Heidelberg, Germany) is currently a specialty drug
development company, focusing on innovative treatments for underserved human
diseases. Early in 2012 the company decided to discontinue its Phase II lead
program AX200 in stroke. While the company continued research activities in the
field of cognitive disorders, it started at the same time a systematic M&A process, to
add new operational assets and activities to SYGNIS Pharma AG. SYGNIS Pharma
AG is listed in the Prime Standard of the Frankfurt Stock Exchange under the ticker:
LIOK; and ISIN: DE000A1E9B74.
About X-Pol Biotech, S.L.: www.xpolbiotech.com
A biotechnology company created by Prof. Luis Blanco and GENETRIX in 2008 with
a focus on the development of tools and technologies for the DNA amplification and
sequencing market. GENETRIX currently controls 84% of the company. Other
shareholders include renowned scientists, Professor Luis Blanco and Professor
Margarita Salas. “Qualiphi®” was licensed with the Spanish National Research
Council (CSIC) in 2010.
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This publication is intended for information only and constitutes neither an offer to sell nor an invitation to buy
securities. Some statements included in this press release, relating neither to proven financial results nor other
historical data, should be viewed as forward-looking, i.e. not definite. Such statements are mainly predictions of
future results, trends, plans or goals. These statements should not be considered to be total guarantees since given
their very nature they are subject to known and unknown risks and imponderability and can be affected by other
factors as a consequence of which the actual results, plans and goals of SYGNIS Pharma AG may deviate greatly
from the established conclusions or implied predictions contained in such statements. SYGNIS does not undertake to
publicly update or revise these statements in the light of new information or future results or for any other reason.