Dako A/S Continues to Improve Revenue and Operating Profit

COPENHAGEN, DENMARK--(Marketwire - March 23, 2011) - "Dako finished 2010 with a strong momentum as we closed the year with all-time high revenues and operating profits. We have good reasons to believe that this trend will continue in 2011 and beyond," says CEO Lars Holmkvist.

Highlights from the annual results 2010:

--  Dako realized net sales of DKK 1,913 million, up 7% on 2009
    (2009: DKK 1,782 million). Measured in local currencies, Dako showed an
     annual organic growth of 4%.

--  Operating profit before other income and expenses amounted to
    DKK 329 million, up 42% on 2009 (2009: DKK 232 million), which was in
    line with expectations.

--  EBITDA before other income and expenses amounted to DKK 628 million
    (2009: DKK 499 million). This is 26% above 2009 and equivalent to a
    33% EBITDA margin (2009: 28%).

--  With the launch of the Dako CoverStainer, Dako ventured into the area
    of primary staining.

--  Dako received FDA approval for HercepTest™ and HER2 FISH pharmDx™
    for stomach cancer. Dako is the first company in the world to receive
    FDA approval for a HER2 test for stomach indication. Dako also
    launched several other important products in 2010.

--  Dako entered a large framework agreement with AstraZeneca on the
    development of companion diagnostics for targeted cancer treatments.
    Dako also entered collaboration with Philips and Omnyx in the area of
    digital pathology. A strong pharmDx pipeline has been build for 2011.

--  Dako established subsidiaries in Brazil and China in late 2009 and
    early 2010, respectively. Dako expects significant future growth
    opportunities in these markets.

Building sustainable growth in 2011

Going out of 2010, Dako Management took the necessary steps to prepare Dako for sustainable growth by redistributing back-office resources to customer-facing activities and investing in strategic R&D projects.

"Dako is well positioned to capitalize on the growth opportunities that the cancer diagnostic market offers," says Lars Holmkvist

Dako operates in an attractive growing market and the all-time high 2010 revenue and operating profit has furthered Dako's potential as a company. Dako expects continued organic sales growth in 2011 at a higher level than in 2010, and an improved and positive operating profit before other income and expenses.

Download the full annual report 2010 (http://www.dako.com/dk/index/aboutdako/newsevents/about-publications.htm) from Dako's website.

Key figures                                                 2010     2009
                                                          -------  -------
                                                            % of     % of
DKK million                               2010     2009   revenue  revenue
                                        -------  -------  -------  -------
Revenue                                 1,913.1  1,782.4
Gross profit                            1,297.8  1,205.3     67.8%    67.6%
Research and Development expenses and
 investments                              273.4    240.2     14.3%    13.5%
Operating profit/loss before other
 income and expenses*                     461.0    364.6     24.1%    20.5%
Operating profit/loss before other
 income and expenses                      328.7    232.2     17.2%    13.0%
Net financials                           (505.9)  (303.7)    26.4%    17.0%
Net profit/(loss) for the year*          (163.8)   (53.1)     8.6%     3.0%
Net profit/(loss) for the year           (260.3)  (119.8)    13.6%     6.7%
EBITDA before other income and expenses   628.4    498.6     32.8%    28.0%


*Excluding amortization of intangibles recognized in connection with the
 acquisition of Dako

About Dako

Dako, based in Denmark, is a global leader in tissue-based cancer diagnostics. Hospital and research laboratories worldwide use Dako's know-how, reagents, instruments and software to make precise diagnoses and determine the most effective treatment for patients suffering from cancer. Employing more than 1,000 people and being present in more than 80 countries, Dako covers essentially all of the anatomic pathology markets globally. Dako is owned by a private equity fund, EQT. www.dako.com

Forward-looking statements

Forward-looking statements in this press release are subject to risks, inaccurate assumptions and uncertainties. The consequence is that the actual results do not meet expectations. The future results could be influenced by factors such as interest rate and exchange rate fluctuations, development projects failure, production issues, price decreases influenced by government and reimbursement rules, introduction of competitive products, Dako's capability to successfully market new and existing products, product liability exposure and other law suits together with unexpected growth in expenses.