Ad-hoc | 26 March 2002 07:30

Rhein Biotech N.V. english

Rhein Biotech and Wockhardt Ltd. restructure Indian Joint Venture Ad-hoc-announcement transmitted by DGAP. The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement. ——————————————————————————– Rhein Biotech and Wockhardt have restructured their Indian production joint venture Wockhardt Rhein Biopharm. In this restructuring Wockhardt Limited acquired 100% ownership of the joint venture. In the new situation Wockhardt Limited has a co-exclusive license on Rhein Biotechs Hansenula polymorpha technology for the production of Hepatitis B vaccine in India. Rhein Biotech will continue to receive royalties on sales of Wockhardts hepatitis B vaccine and future insulin sales and has the freedom to operate in the field of combination vaccines in India. No financials or further details of the agreement are being disclosed. About Wockhardt Rhein Biopharm: Wockhardt Rhein Biopharm was set up in 1996 as a 50-50 joint venture between Rhein Biotech GmbH and Wockhardt Limited. The joint venture produces the hepatitis B surface antigen for the vaccine Biovac B, which is being sold by Wockhardt Ltd. under an exclusive distribution and supply agreement with the joint venture Wockhardt Rhein Biopharm. Furthermore Wockhardt Rhein Biopharm has a license to produce insulin using Rhein Biotechs Hansenula polymorpha production technology. This product is currently under development at Wockhardt Rhein Biopharm. end of ad-hoc-announcement (c)DGAP 26.03.2002 Issuer’s information/explanatory remarks concerning this ad-hoc-announcement: About Rhein Biotech Rhein Biotech is a vaccine oriented global biotechnology group. Rhein Biotech develops, produces and markets prophylactic vaccines and develops new therapeutic vaccines based on its platform technologies. With Hepavax-Gene, manufactured by subsidiary GreenCross Vaccine, the Group has advanced to the worlds third largest producer of hepatitis B vaccine. Rhein Biotech currently markets 13 products reaching 75 percent of the worlds population. The Group employs over 300 people, with one third in R&D. Rhein Biotech is listed on the Neuer Markt (Frankfurt), where it is included in the Nemax 50 index. For more information on Rhein Biotech, visit www.rheinbiotech.com. About Wockhardt Limited Wockhardt Limited is a research and technology oriented pharmaceutical company and is ranked amongst the top 5 in India. It has an active multi-disciplinary R&D programme with about 300 scientists. The company has been the frontrunner in biotechnology research in the country and already has two products in the market The company is focussing on developing Novel Drug Delivery System NDDS products aimed largely towards developed nations. The company has a team of over 90 scientists engaged in new drug discovery research and has several new chemical entities in the field of sepsis and anti-infectives. The company has a strong presence in the domestic market through a field force of over 1300 people. Over 33% of Wockhardt’s turnover comes from International business and the company is a global leader in several bulk actives. For further information please contact: Rhein Biotech N.V. Company Contact: Marcel Jacobs Communication Manager T: +31 (0)43 / 35 67 894 F: +31 (0)43 / 35 67 899 E: m.jacobs@rheinbiotech.com Media Contact: Claudia Hagedorn, IR-Consultant Vom Hoff Kommunikation GmbH, T: +49 (0)211 / 515 805 16 F: +49 (0)211 / 515 805 55 E: c.hagedorn@vomhoff.de ——————————————————————————– WKN: 919544; ISIN: NL0000230324; Index: NEMAX 50 Listed: Neuer Markt in Frankfurt; Freiverkehr in Berlin, Bremen, Düsseldorf, Hamburg, München, Stuttgart, Hannover 260730 Mär 02