Annual General Meeting of SYGNIS Pharma AG Approves Combination of Businesses With X-Pol Biotech
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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