Ad-hoc | 28 March 2006 00:34
RHEIN BIOTECH NV TO SELL ITS SUBSIDIARY RHEIN BIOTECH GMBH TO DYNAVAX TECHNOLOGIES CORPORATION
Ad hoc announcement transmitted by DGAP – a company of EquityStory AG.
The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.
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RHEIN BIOTECH NV
Contact:
Patrik Richard
Phone +41 31 980 64 91
E-mail patrik.richard@bernabiotech.com
RHEIN BIOTECH NV TO SELL ITS SUBSIDIARY RHEIN BIOTECH GMBH TO DYNAVAX
TECHNOLOGIES CORPORATION
Maastricht, the Netherlands – March 27, 2006 – Rhein Biotech NV (“RBNV”)
(Frankfurt, Geregelter Markt: RBO) announced today that it plans to sell
its subsidiary and biopharmaceutical and vaccine manufacturer Rhein Biotech
Gesellschaft für Neue Biotechnologische Prozesse und Produkte m.b.H (“Rhein
Düsseldorf”) to Dynavax Technologies Corporation (‘Dynavax’) (NASDAQ:
DVAX), in a cash for stock transaction.
The transaction enables RBNV to continue to focus on core competencies by
divesting a non-strategic asset while retaining for it and its affiliates
necessary access to technology applicable to its product development
activities. As of March 2005, Rhein Düsseldorf was already repositioned in
order to allow Rhein Düsseldorf to become an independent product
development company and strategic partner for other biotech companies.
Through the combination with Dynavax, Rhein Düsseldorf will become part a
group that plans to expand its business.
Dynavax has expressed to welcome Rhein Düsseldorf’s management and
employees to Dynavax and that Rhein Düsseldorf’s development and regulatory
expertise, high quality manufacturing capabilities and excellent
reputation, especially in Europe, will be valuable assets as the combined
business will be built. Dynavax anticipates that the integration of the
Rhein Düsseldorf and Dynavax businesses should proceed smoothly.
The sale of Rhein Düsseldorf is subject to approval from the general
meeting of shareholders of RBNV. RBNV will convene an extraordinary
shareholders meeting to resolve upon such approval. Rhein Biotech N.V is
93% owned by Berna Biotech AG. Crucell N.V., the company that owns
substantially all shares of Berna Biotech AG, announced that on the basis
of the currently available information it has undertaken to procure that
Berna Biotech AG votes in favour of the divestiture of Rhein Biotech GmbH.
About Rhein Düsseldorf
Incorporated in 1985, Rhein Düsseldorf, based in Düsseldorf, Germany, is an
integrated biopharmaceutical company with established businesses in
hepatitis B and other vaccine product development and manufacturing. Rhein
Düsseldorf’s key products include SuperVax, a two-dose hepatitis B vaccine,
Theravax, a development-stage therapeutic vaccine for treatment of chronic
hepatitis B, and a development-stage vaccine to prevent cytomegalovirus
infection. Other products Rhein Düsseldorf has developed and licensed-out
include a three-dose hepatitis B vaccine and alpha-interferon. Rhein
Düsseldorf has approximately 45 employees.
Rhein Düsseldorf is a wholly owned subsidiary of RBNV, a Dutch company
listed at the Frankfurt Stock Exchange, based in Maastricht, the
Netherlands. RBNV is a global vaccine-focused biotech company, which
combines its patented platform technologies with conventional vaccine
know-how to develop, produce and market prophylactic and therapeutic
vaccines. In 2002, Berna Biotech AG, of Berne, Switzerland, acquired over
93% of RBNV. Berna Biotech was recently acquired by Crucell NV, of Leiden,
the Netherlands.
Financial Terms of the Transaction
Under the terms of the planned acquisition, Dynavax will pay to RBNV
approximately Euro 10 million which amount includes repayment of all Rhein
Düsseldorf’s outstanding debt obligations to RBNV. The acquisition relates
to 100% of the share capital of Rhein Düsseldorf, which assets include
manufacturing facilities, research and development stage products, the
industrial enzymes business and personnel.
The transaction is anticipated to close in the second quarter of 2006.
(c)DGAP 28.03.2006
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language: English
emitter: Rhein Biotech N.V.
Oude Maasstraat 47
6229 BC Maastricht Niederlande
phone: +31 433 56 78 9-0
fax: +31 433 56 78 9-9
email: patrik.richard@bernabiotech.com
WWW: www.bernabiotech.com
ISIN: NL0000230324
WKN: 919544
indexes:
stockmarkets: Geregelter Markt in Frankfurt (General Standard); Freiverkehr
in Berlin-Bremen, Stuttgart, München, Hamburg, Düsseldorf
End of News DGAP News-Service
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