Biotest AG: Ad-hoc RELEASE Announcement according to § 15 Sec. 1 Securities Trading Act (WpHG)
Biotest AG / Key word(s): Miscellaneous/Miscellaneous
22.03.2011 10:19
Dissemination of an Ad hoc announcement according to § 15 WpHG, transmitted
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The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.
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Ad-hoc RELEASE
Announcement according to § 15 Sec. 1 Securities Trading Act (WpHG)
Dreieich, March 22, 2011. Biotest AG has signed tonight a contract today to
sell its woldwide activities of its Microbiological Monitoring business,
consisting of the product portfolio of HYCON (hygiene monitoring) and the
product portfolio of heipha Dr. Müller GmbH (microbiological culture media
and microbiological test systems), to Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany within
a combined asset/-share deal. Merck KGaA is a global pharmaceutical and
chemical company, that supplies e.g. life science research and
microbiological products. The transaction is subject to antitrust approvals
in Germany and Austria. Closing of the transaction is expected in the
second half of 2011.
According to the terms of the transaction, Merck will acquire two
production sites in Germany, as well as four subsidiaries - heipha Dr.
Müller GmbH (51% Biotest; 49% Dr. Müller) Biotest Microbiology Corp.
(Rockaway, NJ, USA), Biotest S.à.r.l (Paris, France) and Biotest K.K.
(Yokohama, Japan). Merck also acquires the microbiological monitoring
businesses of five of Biotest Group's european subsidiaries.
In 2010, the Microbiological Monitoring business achieved sales of EUR 48.7
million. The business segment employs 290 employees.
With the planned disposal, the Biotest Group intends to sharpen its focus
on developing and marketing innovative pharmaceutical and biotherapeutic
drugs in immunology and haematology.
Biotest Aktiengesellschaft
The Executive Management Board
Biotest AG
Landsteinerstr. 5
D-63303 Dreieich
www.biotest.de
Disclaimer
This document contains forward-looking statements on overall economic
development as well as on the business, earnings, financial and assets
position of Biotest AG and its subsidiaries. These statements are based on
current plans, estimates, forecasts and expectations of the company and are
thus subject to risks and elements of uncertainty that could result in
significant deviation of actual developments from expected developments.
The forward-looking statements are only valid at the time of publication.
Biotest does not intend to update the forward-looking statements and
assumes no obligation to do so.
About Biotest
Biotest is a provider of pharmaceutical and biotherapeutic drugs as well as
reagents and systems for microbiology. With a value added chain that
extends from pre-clinical and clinical development to worldwide sales,
Biotest has specialised primarily in the areas of application of immunology
and haematology. In its Plasma Protein segment, Biotest develops and
markets immunoglobulins, coagulation factors and albumins based on human
blood plasma. These are used for diseases of the immune and haematopoietic
systems. In the Biotherapeutic segment, Biotest researches into the
clinical development of monoclonal antibodies, including in the indications
of rheumatoid arthritis and cancer of plasma cells. The products of the
Microbiological Monitoring segment are primarily used in hygiene
monitoring. Biotest has more than 1,900 employees worldwide. The preference
shares of Biotest AG are listed in the SDAX on the Frankfurt stock
exchange.
Securities' ID No., ISIN ordinary shares: 522720, DE0005227201
Securities' ID No., ISIN preference shares: 522723, DE0005227235
Listing: Prime Standard/Official traded
Frankfurt, Berlin, Düsseldorf, Hamburg, Stuttgart
22.03.2011 DGAP's Distribution Services include Regulatory Announcements,
Financial/Corporate News and Press Releases.
Media archive at www.medientreff.de and www.dgap.de
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Language: English
Company: Biotest AG
Landsteinerstraße 5
63303 Dreieich
Deutschland
Phone: 0 61 03 - 8 01-0
Fax: 0 61 03 - 8 01-150
E-mail: investor_relations@biotest.de
Internet: http://www.biotest.de
ISIN: DE0005227235, DE0005227201
WKN: 522723, 522720
Indices: SDAX
Listed: Regulierter Markt in Frankfurt (Prime Standard); Freiverkehr
in Berlin, Düsseldorf, Hamburg, Stuttgart
End of Announcement DGAP News-Service
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