EANS-News: SYGNIS Pharma AG /SYGNIS and GENETRIX Announce Proposed Combination of Businesses of SYGNIS and GENETRIX' subsidiary X-Pol

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Mergers - Acquisitions - Takeovers

Heidelberg (euro adhoc) - SYGNIS and GENETRIX Announce Proposed
Combination of Businesses of SYGNIS and GENETRIX' subsidiary X-Pol

Heidelberg, July 18, 2012 - SYGNIS Pharma AG (Frankfurt: LIOK; ISIN
DE000A1E9B74; Prime Standard) and GENETRIX announced today, that the
biotechnology companies SYGNIS and GENETRIX have signed a binding
Term Sheet under which the companies propose to combine the GENETRIX'
DNA sequencing subsidiary X-Pol Biotech and SYGNIS. Goal is to
develop and market X-Pol Biotech, S.L.'s DNA sequencing technologies
and products.

SYGNIS will acquire 100% ownership of X-Pol by way of capital
increase against contribution in kind and therefore X-Pol will become
a 100% subsidiary of SYGNIS. After the proposed transaction, the
existing shareholders of X-Pol are expected to hold 77.5% of SYGNIS
shares. Cash and existing financial facilities, such as SEDA are
expected to cover the financial needs of SYGNIS after the transaction
until achieving positive cash flows. The executive and supervisory
boards of both companies have voted unanimously for the proposed key
terms of the transaction. The transaction is subject to an exemption
granted by BaFin from the obligations pursuant to Section 35 of the
German Takeover Act (Wertpapiererwerbs- und Übernahmegesetz), in
particular to submit a mandatory tender offer to the existing
shareholders of SYGNIS in connection with the transaction. It is also
dependent on the approval of SYGNIS shareholders at the next
shareholders' meeting. It is proposed that Pilar de la Huerta (CEO of
GENETRIX) will join the SYGNIS Management Board following the closing
of the transaction.

The transaction takes advantage of SYGNIS' long lasting expertise in
the biotechnology business and its stock listing in combination with
GENETRIX' expertise in the upcoming field of molecular diagnostics.

"Qualiphi®" is the most advanced commercial product in the X-Pol
portfolio. Very recently GENETRIX signed a first global and exclusive
licensing agreement for X-Pol's "Qualiphi®" polymerase product with
Qiagen, the global sample and assay technologies company. X-Pol's DNA
polymerases, due to their unique properties, are believed to increase
the performance of DNA amplifications significantly. X-Pol's
polymerases enable a wide range of applications for DNA
amplification, repair, sequencing and modification of genetic targets
of research and clinical interest. Polymerases such as "Qualiphi®"
are necessary for the amplification of large DNA fragments and
complete genomes, and are an essential tool for any research that
requires the use of DNA from any species. In conjunction with the
advances made in the field of DNA sequencing and personalised
medicine, the market for polymerases is estimated to grow by 25%
annually for the coming years. Current estimates have calculated the
current global isothermal DNA amplification market alone to be of up
to E70 million. Peter Willinger, CFO of SYGNIS commented: "We are
very excited to leverage our assets and, thus, create a new SYGNIS,
with a new profile based on its long lasting expertise. The company
will have an entirely new focus and business and will provide a lower
risk profile with the near term visibility of revenues and
profitability."

Dr. Frank Rathgeb, CMO of SYGNIS complemented: "The scientific team
of X-Pol is a frontrunner in the polymerases field. We are happy to
join forces with these excellent scientists and will put a clear
focus on building on the X-Pol DNA sequencing business and related
activities within the field of molecular diagnostics."

Pilar de la Huerta, CEO of GENETRIX added: "The combination of both
companies offers great opportunities: access to the international
healthcare capital markets and cash to advance our technologies and
products and to build a strong company on top of that. The SYGNIS
team and its Heidelberg biotech network offer us direct access to the
scientific excellence of that region; we will use this huge potential
to its full effect."

For further information please contact:

SYGNIS Pharma AG
Peter Willinger
CFO SYGNIS Pharma AG
Tel: +49 6221 454 836

GENETRIX, S.L.
Pilar de la Huerta
CEO GENETRIX
Tel: +34 91 806 30 89

Email: peter.willinger@sygnis.de
pdelahuerta@genetrix.es

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 GENETRIX, S.L.: www.genetrix.es GENETRIX, S.L., is a Spanish
biotechnology holding company that was founded in 2001 as an
incubator for Spanish biotechnology companies established in academic
settings. Since inception, GENETRIX, S.L., has invested more than E36
million in nine companies focused on three biotechnology areas:
healthcare technologies, human therapies and diagnosis. The portfolio
includes holdings in six companies, including Cellerix-Tigenix SA,
which was initially established in the holding company and after nine
years of operations merged with the Belgian public listed company
Tigenix, X-Pol Biotech, which focuses on the development of tools and
technologies for the DNA amplification and sequencing market, and
Coretherapix, a company centred on developing cellular therapy for
treating acute myocardial infarction.

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
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Stuttgart, regulated dealing/prime standard: Frankfurt
language: English