Microsoft word - 050302_pressemitteilung_hbm_aspreva_en.doc

Not for distribution in the USA, Canada, Japan and Australia Media release
Baar, 4 March 2005

Successful IPO for HBM portfolio company Aspreva
Trading in the shares of biotechnology company Aspreva Pharmaceuticals
(NASDAQ: ASPV) opened today on the Nasdaq, the US technology stock exchange.
At USD 11 per share, the IPO price was just under three times what HBM paid a year
ago in connection with a private financing round. The company will receive around
USD 80 million from the IPO share placement. The capital injection will allow
Aspreva to finalise several phase III clinical trials for new indications for the CellCept
product.
The Aspreva business model is to join forces with major pharmaceutical and
biotechnology companies ("indication partnering") to develop and commercialise
already marketed drugs for new indications. The first drug for which Aspreva is
conducting the clinical trials required for FDA approval is the blockbuster CellCept.
CellCept has been on the market for many years and is currently the leading drug
used to prevent organ rejection following organ transplant. Aspreva is conducting
clinical trials with CellCept in the field of auto-immune diseases. In return, it receives
from Roche – CellCept's owner – marketing rights and licence fees for sales of
CellCept outside transplant medicine.
HBM BioVentures invested USD 6 million in Aspreva in March 2004. Over the
coming six months, HBM BioVentures will book a 25% lock-up discount on the full
value of the investment. As a result, the increase in the value of Aspreva will not
initially be reflected in full in the net asset value of HBM BioVentures.
Dr. Andreas Wicki, CEO of HBM BioVentures, remarked: "Aspreva's promising
business model, involving the clinical trials, registration and marketing for new
indications of patent-protected drugs that are already on sale, has attracted a great
deal of interest from private equity investors. Thanks to the industry expertise of our
advisory team and the excellent reputation that HBM BioVentures enjoys, we were
able to participate in the heavily oversubscribed financing round a year ago."
For further information, please contact Dr. Joachim Rudolf, CFO, HBM BioVentures
Ltd, tel.: +41 43 888 71 71 .
Brief profile of HBM BioVentures Ltd HBM BioVentures is a leading holding company in the life science, biotech and medical technology sectors. It enables investors to tap in to a broadly diversified portfolio of private and public companies with high value creation potential in an investment segment that is difficult to access. HBM BioVentures is appreciated as a complement to traditional pharmaceutical and biotech investments. HBM BioVentures is an active investor which finances, supports and shapes portfolio companies as a key partner. HBM's team of specialists has the therapeutic know-how, operational experience and wide-ranging expertise in research and development, management and finance to provide a sound basis for above-average returns. With net assets of over CHF 900 million, HBM BioVentures is a market leader in its sector. HBM BioVentures Ltd is domiciled in Baar, Switzerland, and has a broad shareholder base. HBM BioVentures shares are traded over the counter. Legal Disclaimer THIS PUBLICATION IS NOT BEING ISSUED IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA AND SHOULD NOT BE DISTRIBUTED TO UNITED STATES PERSONS OR PUBLICATIONS WITH A GENERAL CIRCULATION IN THE UNITED STATES. THIS DOCUMENT DOES NOT CONSTITUTE AN OFFER OR INVITATION TO SUBSCRIBE FOR OR PURCHASE ANY SECURITIES. IN ADDITION, THE SECURITIES OF HBM BIOVENTURES LTD. HAVE NOT BEEN AND WILL NOT BE REGISTERED UNDER THE UNITED STATES SECURITIES LAWS AND MAY NOT BE OFFERED, SOLD OR DELIVERED WITHIN THE UNITED STATES OR TO U.S. PERSONS ABSENT FROM REGISTRATION UNDER OR AN APPLICABLE EXEMPTION FROM THE REGISTRATION REQUIREMENTS OF THE UNITED STATES SECURITIES LAW.

Source: http://www.hbmhealthcare.com/wAssets/docs/pressemitteilungen-en/2005/050304_Aspreva.pdf