EANS-News: SYGNIS Pharma AG Annual General Meeting of SYGNIS Pharma AG
approves Combination of Businesses with X-Pol Biotech
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Annual & Special Corporate Meetings
Heidelberg (euro adhoc) - Annual General Meeting of SYGNIS Pharma AG approves
Combination of Businesses with X-Pol Biotech
* Comprehensive strategic realignment agreed
* Election of new Supervisory Board
* Dr. Cristina Garmendia elected Chairwoman of the Supervisory Board
* Pilar de la Huerta will become the new CEO of SYGNIS,
Dr. Frank Rathgeb retires from the management board
* Revenues from DNA-amplification business projected to turn SYGNIS profitable
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}[HYPERLINK: mailto: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.
### Disclaimer
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.
###
Further inquiry note:
Michael Wolf
Telefon: +49 (6221) 454 - 6
E-Mail: Michael.Wolf@sygnis.de
end of announcement euro adhoc
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company: SYGNIS Pharma AG
Im Neuenheimer Feld 515
D-69120 Heidelberg
phone: +49 (0)6221 454-6
FAX: +49 (0)6221 454-777
mail: contact@sygnis.de
WWW: http://www.sygnis.de
sector: Biotechnology
ISIN: DE000A1E9B74
indexes: CDAX, Prime All Share
stockmarkets: free trade: Hannover, Berlin, München, Hamburg, Düsseldorf,
Stuttgart, regulated dealing/prime standard: Frankfurt
language: English