Deutsche Effecten- und Wechsel-Beteiligungsges. AG
DEWB´s portfolio company NOXXON closes 37 mill. EUR financing round
Jena/Berlin (euro adhoc) -
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investments/NOXXON Financing Round
Jena/Berlin, May 3, 2007 - DEWB´s portfolio company NOXXON Pharma AG (NOXXON), developer of mirror image oligonucleotide therapeutics termed Spiegelmers®, announced today the successful closing of a 37 million Euros (50 million US $) series C round of financing. The main new investors were TVM Capital, Sofinnova Partners, and Edmond de Rothschild Investment Partners. As existing lead investor Deutsche Effecten- und Wechsel-Beteiligungsgesellschaft AG participated in the round on an under proportional basis and will hold after the first tranche a share of 28.0 % and after final payment 20.7 %. FCP OP MEDICAL BioHealth-Trends (advised by Medical Strategy) and the Dieckell Group, as well as new investors Seventure, Dow Venture Capital (The Dow Chemical Company), IBG Beteiligungsgesellschaft Sachsen-Anhalt mbH, VC Fonds Berlin, and others joined the financing round to fund the pre-clinical and clinical development of NOXXON´s lead products in kidney disease and ophthalmology.
Bertram Köhler, Member of the Management Board of DEWB, commented: "We are pleased to see our past engagement resulting in this outstanding financing round with an international syndicate of leading biotech investors. This forms a solid ground for the next phase of growth of our portfolio company and increase in value by becoming a major player in the next generation of improved therapeutics after the antibody success."
"This impressive investment puts NOXXON in an excellent position to move our lead compounds NOX-E36 for the treatment of lupus nephritis and NOX-A12 for the treatment of diabetic retinopathy into the clinic and through clinical proof of concept", stated NOXXON´s CEO and CSO Dr. Sven Klussmann. "We are excited to drive these projects to the next development phase and to demonstrate the potential of the Spiegelmer technology. We feel honored to have received such strong financial support from this elite group of investors and thank our old and new investors for their trust and strategic input in the past and as we move forward."
NOXXON´s lead compounds NOX-E36 and NOX-A12 are high potency inhibitors that were generated with NOXXON´s proprietary Spiegelmer technology. A third Spiegelmer, NOX-B11, was licensed to Pfizer Inc. in 2006 and is developed for the treatment of obesity. Spiegelmers are marked by their biostability and an extremely low potential for toxic or immunogenic side effects. The funds raised in this series C investment are allocated for the pre-clinical and clinical development of NOXXON´s lead products and to generate novel therapeutic leads in indications with an unmet medical need.
About NOXXON Pharma AG: Based on one of the biggest and best protected patent portfolio in the industry, Berlin-based NOXXON Pharma AG develops biostable aptamers, novel substances based on mirror image nucleic acids. These so-called Spiegelmers® (the German word "Spiegel" means mirror) are highly specific for the pharmacologically relevant target for which they were selected. Thanks to their structural characteristics, Spiegelmers® are extremely resistant to degradation and not immunogenic - a new generation of improved therapeutics. www.noxxon.net
About DEWB: Deutsche Effecten- und Wechsel-Beteiligungsgesellschaft AG (DEWB AG) is an investment company which specializes in young and established medium-sized companies in the field of optical technologies and sensor systems within the region of Germany, Austria and Switzerland. We provide support for strong growth companies in the form of sharehold-ers´ equity, comprehensive expertise in corporate development and our sector network.
Our interdisciplinary team, with years of experience in the acquisition, development and sale of investment holdings, possesses commercial, legal and financing know-how. What sets it apart from the rest is its well-developed technical understanding of the target sectors. Since 1997 we have invested more than 300 million Euros in 52 companies and realized more than 400 million Euros through 32 exits, eight of which were in the form of IPOs.
The company´s registered offices are located in Jena, one of the most successful technology and science regions in Germany, with a long tradition in the field of optical technologies and one of the most important European centres for Photonics.
end of announcement euro adhoc 03.05.2007 10:20:31
Further inquiry note:
Mirko Wäckerle
Vorstand
Tel.: +49 (0)3641 573 3600
E-Mail: ir@dewb-vc.com
www.dewb-vc.com
Branche: Financial & Business Services
ISIN: DE0008041005
WKN: 804100
Index: CDAX, Classic All Share, Prime All Share
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