Ad hoc announcement pursuant to Art. 53 LR

Fribourg, 12 December 2024

AEVIS VICTORIA SA (AEVS.SW) – AEVIS VICTORIA announces the acquisition of Spital Zofingen by Swiss Medical Network and a strategic partnership with Kantonsspital Aarau

AEVIS VICTORIA SA (AEVIS) announces the acquisition of Spital Zofingen, a subsidiary of Kantonsspital Aarau AG (KSA), by Swiss Medical Network Holding SA (SMN), marking an important milestone in its strategy for growth and the development of integrated healthcare in Switzerland. This acquisition, with payment made in SMN shares, paves the way for a strategic partnership between SMN and KSA.

KSA becomes a strategic shareholder in SMN, holding 3.57% of the capital, thereby establishing a sustainable collaboration between the two institutions. This transaction confirms the valuation of SMN, consistent with the valuation applied during the capital increase with Visana Beteiligungen. 

As a result of this operation, AEVIS’s consolidated equity will increase by CHF 50 million. Additionally, the integration of Spital Zofingen is expected to boost the group’s consolidated revenues by approximately CHF 100 million in 2025, underscoring the significant financial impact of this acquisition. The acquisition of Spital Zofingen will generate substantial synergies, particularly in procurement, training, and resource allocation. These efficiencies are expected to positively impact the group’s consolidated results from the 2025 fiscal year onward, enhancing operational performance and the quality of care. 

This acquisition aligns also with the development of integrated healthcare, a strategic pillar for SMN and KSA. Together, the two partners aim to establish a new collaborative model to benefit patients and enhance the efficiency of the Swiss healthcare system.

Antoine Hubert, Delegate of the Board of AEVIS, said: “This acquisition fits perfectly into our strategy of broadening Swiss Medical Network’s shareholder base by bringing in top-tier strategic partners. By partnering with Kantonsspital Aarau, we strengthen our commitment to integrated healthcare and consolidate our position in the Swiss healthcare market.”

Conference call today at 3 p.m.
AEVIS VICTORIA SA will comment on the transaction in a conference call at 3 p.m. today. The call will be headed by Antoine Hubert, Delegate of the Board. Registration is not required. Dial-in number for participants: +41 43 550 14 52

For further information:
AEVIS VICTORIA SA Media and Investor Relations: c/o Dynamics Group, Zurich
Philippe R. Blangey, prb@dynamicsgroup.ch, +41 (0) 43 268 32 35 or +41 (0) 79 785 46 32
Séverine Van der Schueren, svanderschueren@aevis.com, +41 (0) 79 635 04 10

AEVIS VICTORIA SA – Investing for a better life
AEVIS VICTORIA SA invests in healthcare, hospitality & lifestyle and infrastructure. AEVIS′s main shareholdings are Swiss Medical Network Holding SA (80%, directly and indirectly), the only Swiss private network of hospitals present in the country’s three main language regions, MRH Switzerland AG, a luxury hotel group managing eleven luxury hotels in Switzerland and abroad, Infracore SA (30%, directly and indirectly), a real estate company dedicated to healthcare-related infrastructure, Swiss Hotel Properties SA, a hospitality real estate division, and NESCENS SA, a brand dedicated to better aging. AEVIS is listed on the Swiss Reporting Standard of the SIX Swiss Exchange (AEVS.SW). www.aevis.com.

BRAIN Biotech AG Sharpens Focus on Profitable Growth

• Combination of BioProducts segment and BioScience Zwingenberg to form the growth segment BRAINBiocatalysts
• Five-year targets in the BRAINBiocatalysts segment: revenues of EUR 100 million, 15 % adjusted EBITDA margin and high R&D ratio
• Significant improvement in the liquidity and earnings situation due to the two completed transactions with Royalty Pharma and Akribion Therapeutics
• Significant future potential through licensing of further BioIncubator and research projects

ZWINGENBERG, Germany, December 12, 2024 – BRAIN Biotech AG is creating the new growth segment BRAINBiocatalysts in the new financial year 2024/2025. The company announces this at today’s Fifth Capital Markets Day in Zwingenberg. By combining the two previous segments BioProducts and BioScience Zwingenberg, BRAIN Biotech is further sharpening its focus on the enzyme business and ensuring a more efficient integration of its research activities. The successful commercialization of the BioIncubator programs will be continued, thereby further strengthening the company’s liquidity position and profitability.

“We already have a unique product portfolio of enzymes and related activities in highly attractive niches that cannot be served efficiently by larger providers. Bundling our production and research activities on a joint technology platform will take us another major step forward,” says Adriaan Moelker, CEO of BRAIN Biotech AG, at the Capital Markets Day. “We are now focusing even more strongly on the successful implementation of our operational growth strategy and on consistently seizing opportunities,” said Moelker. “Our vision is to become a top 10 innovative enzyme player with reliable profitable sales growth and positive cash flows, our strong science foundation will help us reach this vision.”

The company is updating its medium-term forecast and now expects revenue of EUR 100 million in five years for the BRAINBiocatalysts segment alone. This corresponds to forecast growth of over 80 % in total compared to the 2022/23 financial year (comparable figure for the Group: EUR 55.3 million). The adjusted EBITDA margin in the segment is expected to grow to 15 %. The planning is based on a continued high Group R&D ratio of 7 – 10 %. Growth is expected to be predominantly organic. Strategically bolt-on acquisitions can add product expertise and accelerate the growth trajectory.

The BRAINBioIncubator represents the second segment of BRAIN Biotech AG. Due to the recently signed transactions with Royalty Pharma and Akribion Therapeutics GmbH, the commercial harvesting phase in the more volatile project business has now begun. The company expects the ongoing commercialization of the pipeline to have significant additional positive effects on BRAIN-Group sales and adjusted EBITDA over the next five years.

Michael Schneiders, CFO of BRAIN Biotech AG, explains: “The bundling of our continuous growth business in the new segment BRAINBiocatalysts emphasizes our company’s focus on sustainable, profitable growth. In my opinion, we are also establishing now a valuation cornerstone for the company that is ideally complemented by the existing and future opportunities with high value potential from the BRAINBioIncubator segment.” 

+++

About BRAIN Biotech

BRAIN Biotech AG is a leading provider of integrated solutions and products in the field of industrial biotechnology. The company specializes in enzymes and proteins, microbial production strains and bioprocesses for biotechnological production methods. BRAIN Biotech focuses on the growth markets of nutrition and life sciences as well as on innovative solutions for environment issues. BRAIN Biotech AG is the parent company of the international BRAIN Biotech Group. Its business activities are divided into three segments: 1. BioProducts: Production and sale of specialty enzymes and proteins; 2. BioScience: Customized solutions based on enzyme engineering, production strain and bioprocess development, and screening for bioactive compounds; 3. BioIncubator: Pipeline of research-intensive development projects. For production, the Group operates fermentation plants in the UK and other production facilities in continental Europe and the USA. BRAIN Biotech has been listed on the Frankfurt Stock Exchange since February 9, 2016 (ticker: BNN; ISIN DE0005203947 / WKN 520394). The company employs around 310 people and generated revenues of EUR 55.3 million in the fiscal year 2022/23. For more information, please visit www.brain-biotech-group.com .

Contact Media

Dr Stephanie Konle
PR & Corporate Communications
Phone: +49 6251 9331-70
E-mail: stk@brain-biotech.com

Contact Investor Relations

Martina Schuster
Investor Relations
Phone: +49 6251 9331-69
E-mail: ms@brain-biotech.com

Disclaimer

This press release contains forward-looking statements. These statements reflect the current views, expectations and assumptions of the management of BRAIN Biotech AG and are based on information currently available to management.

Forward-looking statements are no guarantees of future performance, and entail both known and unknown risks as well as uncertainties that could cause actual results, performance or events to differ materially from those expressed or implied in such statements. Numerous factors exist that could influence the future performance of and future developments at BRAIN Biotech AG and the BRAIN Biotech Group. Such factors include, but are not limited to, changes in the general economic and competitive environment, risks associated with capital markets, currency exchange rate fluctuations, changes in international and national laws and regulations, in particular with respect to tax laws and regulations, as well as other factors.

BRAIN Biotech AG does not undertake any obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements.

SCHOTT Pharma with strong growth and record margin after solid year-end finish

• All 2024 targets met including raised revenue guidance: 12% revenue growth and EBITDA margin of 27.8%, both at constant currencies
• Q4 2024 revenues reached EUR 237m; EBITDA margin of 27.9% well above prior year
• FY 2024 revenues reached EUR 957m; EBITDA margin of 26.9% above prior year
• Share of strong-margin high-value solutions (HVS) at 55% in FY 2024
• Guidance for FY 2025 reflects further strong revenue and earnings growth at constant currencies

SCHOTT Pharma, a pioneer in pharma drug containment solutions and delivery systems, showed a solid year-end finish and achieved all financial targets for the fiscal year 2024¹. Revenues in Q4 2024 amounted to EUR 237m (+4% yoy). At constant currencies, revenue grew by 9% yoy in Q4, driving revenue growth for the fiscal year 2024 to 12%, the top half of the previously raised guidance. EBITDA increased even stronger to EUR 66m (+28% yoy). This was driven by the successful expansion of capacities and more than offset the continuous ramp-up efforts and underutilization. The EBITDA margin increased by more than five percentage points to 27.9%, both as reported and at constant currencies, which led to a higher margin of 26.9% for the fiscal year 2024 (FY 2023: 26.6%). At constant currencies, margin was even stronger at 27.8%. “The strong results demonstrate our deep understanding of market needs, even in volatile times. Our team has been able to adapt quickly and flexibly, capitalizing on long-term trends with the most innovative solutions to lead the industry,” said Andreas Reisse, CEO of SCHOTT Pharma.

“Thanks to a strong year-end finish, we are concluding a very successful year with strong results that have enabled us to meet all our 2024 targets. These results serve as a strong foundation on the way to deliver towards our mid-term targets as we enter what we expect to be a year of versatility, in which we will balance short-term market volatility with our growth projects. With our profitable growth strategy, we remain very confident about our 2025 guidance as well as our mid-term targets,“ said Dr. Almuth Steinkühler, CFO of SCHOTT Pharma.

All 2024 targets achieved

For FY 2024, SCHOTT Pharma achieved a strong revenue growth of 7% (at constant currencies: 12%). With that, revenue growth at constant currencies came in in the upper half of the increased FY 2024 guidance. This growth was primarily fueled by the high demand for HVS products and SCHOTT Pharma’s continuous expansion of the corresponding capacities. 55% of revenue in FY 2024 came from strong-margin HVS, bringing the company closer to its mid-term target of above 60%.

SCHOTT Pharma’s profit growth in FY 2024 outperformed the already strong revenue increase. EBITDA increased by 8% yoy to EUR 258m, resulting in a margin of 26.9%. At constant currencies, EBITDA growth was even higher at 17% yoy. Consequently, the EBITDA margin expanded notably to a record level of 27.8%.

Strong innovation pipeline and capacity expansion as growth accelerators

In FY 2024, SCHOTT Pharma remained dedicated to its strategic pillars of innovation and expansion, aiming to further accelerate growth supported by intact market dynamics. With regards to innovation, the company recently launched an optimized nest for its ready-to-use (RTU) cartridges, marking yet another significant step towards more sustainability and efficiency in the pharmaceutical value chain. Following the optimized SCHOTT TOPPAC^® Nest 160 for prefillable polymer syringes, this innovation underscores the benefits of SCHOTT Pharma’s deep and longstanding customer relationships and good understanding of the pharmaceutical value chain. 

To boost its innovation power further, SCHOTT Pharma announced a strategic industry alliance “Alliance for RTU” together with Stevanato and Gerresheimer to promote the market acceptance and penetration of RTU vials and cartridges. With this, SCHOTT Pharma demonstrates its strong market position and its role as a trusted partner to the pharma industry.

These innovations mark a strong finish to the fiscal year and perfectly complement the new and improved solutions by SCHOTT Pharma launched throughout 2024. The development of large-volume 10 ml cartridges for on-body injectors, as well as large-volume polymer and glass syringes for subcutaneous infusions of high drug dosages and the introduction of a blister-free syringe concept to reduce packaging waste and CO2 footprint are just a few examples of how the company advanced its broad product portfolio. With all product innovations, SCHOTT Pharma addresses increased market demand and key pharma megatrends: From GLP-1 to advancing the subcutaneous administration of medication and the sustainable transformation and optimization of manufacturing to name a few.

In FY 2024, SCHOTT Pharma continued to drive its various expansion projects. The projects underscore the company’s commitment to meeting the high demand, especially in the Drug Delivery Systems (DDS) segment as well as the RTU cartridges from the Drug Containment Solutions (DCS) segment. In Germany, capacities for prefillable polymer syringes have been increased, which is expected to support the company’s short- to mid-term growth trajectory. In Hungary, the production of prefillable glass syringes has started following the inauguration of a new state-of-the-art facility and final customer qualifications. At the new best-cost production site in Serbia, which is expected to go into commercial supply in early 2025, machines are being installed, and product qualifications are underway. At the same time, production capacities for RTU cartridges were expanded in Switzerland and for RTU vials in the U.S. with an additional increase being currently implemented.

Good momentum in glass syringe business as main driver of revenue growth in Q4

The main driver of SCHOTT Pharma’s revenue growth in Q4 2024 was the strong year-end finish of the DDS segment. Revenues in the DDS segment reached EUR 118m, an increase by 12% yoy (at constant currencies: 11%). Q4 represented the highest quarterly revenue in this segment. This development was driven by the ongoing strong demand for prefillable syringes, and in particular by a good momentum in glass syringes. On a twelve-months basis, revenue in the DDS segment amounted to EUR 439m, an increase by 28%yoy (at constant currencies: 26%). Based on the good development in the DDS segment, which consists only of HVS products, the HVS revenue share increased by 7 percentage points to 55%.

The DCS segment achieved revenues of EUR 119m in the fourth quarter compared to EUR 126m a year ago. However, adjusted for the FX headwinds, growth at constant currencies was up by 5% yoy supported by a continued improvement in orders. For the fiscal year, the DCS segment achieved revenues of EUR 519m compared to EUR 558m a year ago. However, at constant currencies, DCS achieved solid revenue growth of 3% yoy as a result of the gradual improvement in demand in core vials and continued growth in other product categories.

Record profitability while simultaneously investing in expansion and innovation

In Q4 2024, EBITDA reached EUR 66m and grew stronger than revenue by 28% yoy (at constant currencies: 35%). Consequently, SCHOTT Pharma achieved strong profitability improvement in Q4 2024 with an EBITDA margin of 27.9%, both as reported and at constant currencies (Q4 2024: 22.6%).

In the DDS segment, the company increased EBITDA to EUR 45m which was up 21% yoy (at constant currencies: 19%). This resulted in the high quarterly margin of 35.5% (at constant currencies: 38.0%). On a twelve-month basis, EBITDA in DDS increased to EUR 166m, representing 29% yoy growth (at constant currencies: 26%).

EBITDA in the DCS segment increased to EUR 17m, showing strong growth of 21% yoy (at constant currencies: 48%). This was due to the positive product mix effects and cost efficiency initiatives. On a twelve-month basis, EBITDA reached EUR 101m compared to EUR 109m a year ago. However, adjusted for FX headwinds, EBITDA grew by 6%.

In FY 2024, SCHOTT Pharma’s high operational cash flow was driven by its profitability and improved working capital performance and led to a strong free cash flow of EUR 79m. The strong cash generation (cash flows from operating activities of EUR 225m) enabled the company to self-fund its investments, mainly its growth investments related to the ongoing expansion of HVS capacities. Total CAPEX amounted to EUR 145m (FY 2023: EUR 176m). The company’s net profit after minorities came in at EUR 150m, a slight decline of 1% yoy. SCHOTT Pharma recorded earnings per share of EUR 0.99 (FY 2023: EUR 1.01).

Outlook

In fiscal year 2025, the company expects to grow thanks to its strong market position, particularly for HVS products. Accordingly, significant revenue growth at constant currencies in the high single digits is expected for the coming fiscal year. As a result, SCHOTT Pharma also expects an increase in EBITDA and forecasts an EBITDA margin approximately at the strong level of FY 2024.

Going forward, SCHOTT Pharma will continue to pursue its strategic priorities along the pillars expansion and innovation while taking advantage of fully intact long-term industry trends such as GLP-1, antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs), homecare, subcutaneous injections and mRNA. The company confirms its mid-term outlook with a revenue CAGR above 10% and an EBITDA margin in the lower 30s% range.

 For additional news about SCHOTT Pharma please visit our media center.

Key figures Q4 2024

Key figures FY 2024

¹The fiscal year runs from October to September. Q4 2024 therefore relates to the period from July 2024 to September 2024.
²CC = at constant currencies

Webcast

Andreas Reisse (CEO) and Dr. Almuth Steinkühler (CFO) will speak at an analyst and investor conference call at 11:00 a.m. CET on 12 December 2024 to discuss the Q4 and FY 2024 results. The audio webcast can be followed via a conference call. The accompanying presentation can also be downloaded on the IR website: www.schott-pharma.com/investor-relations  

About SCHOTT Pharma

Human health matters. That is why SCHOTT Pharma designs solutions grounded in science to ensure that medications are safe and easy to use for people around the world. The portfolio comprises drug containment solutions and delivery systems for injectable drugs ranging from prefillable glass and polymer syringes to cartridges, vials, and ampoules. Every day, a team of around 4,700 people from over 60 nations works at SCHOTT Pharma to contribute to global healthcare. The company is represented in all main pharmaceutical hubs with 16 manufacturing sites in Europe, North and South America, and Asia. With over 1,000 patents and technologies developed in-house and a state-of-the-art R&D center in Switzerland, the company is focused on developing innovations for the future. SCHOTT Pharma AG & Co. KGaA is headquartered in Mainz, Germany and listed on the Frankfurt Stock Exchange as part of the MDAX. It is part of SCHOTT AG, which is owned by the Carl Zeiss Foundation. In light of this spirit, SCHOTT Pharma is committed to sustainable development for society and the environment and has the strategic goal of becoming climate-neutral by 2030. Currently, SCHOTT Pharma has over 1,800 customers including the top 30 leading pharma manufacturers for injectable drugs and generated revenue of EUR 957 million in the fiscal year 2024. Further information at www.schott-pharma.com

Press contact

Joana Kornblum

Media Relations

Tel.: +49 151 2922 3552

E-Mail: joana.kornblum@schott.com

Tobias Erfurth

Head of Investor Relations

E-Mail: ir.pharma@schott.com

Jasko Terzic, CFA

Senior Manager Investor Relations

E-Mail: ir.pharma@schott.com

Viromed Medical AG seeks extensive cooperation with a major global Group

Pinneberg, 11 December 2024 – Viromed Medical AG (Ticker: VMED; ISIN: DE000A3MQR65; ‘Viromed’; the ‘Company’) is seeking an extensive cooperation with a major global Group that is also active in the pharmaceutical sector. Based on today’s discussions, the subject of the cooperation will be in particular the granting of a worldwide licence in favour of Viromed Medical AG for the application of cold atmospheric pressure plasma in medicine. Subject to a contractual agreement, which is expected within the next three months, Viromed expects to generate initial revenues from the use of cold atmospheric pressure plasma in the low double-digit million range as early as the second half of the 2025 financial year.

Another subject of the negotiations for the establishment of an extensive cooperation is a possible participation of the global Group in Viromed or, conversely, a participation of Viromed in portfolio companies of the global Group. However, decisive negotiations on the essential terms of the respective participations are still pending.

Viromed will inform the capital market about the further progress of the negotiations on the intended cooperation in accordance with its legal obligation.

Contact Viromed Medical AG

Uwe Perbandt
CEO
Flensburger Straße 18
25421 Pinneberg
E-Mail: kontakt@viromed-medical.de
www.viromed-medical-ag.de

Classification of First Berlin Equity Research GmbH to Formycon AG

First Berlin Equity Research has published a research update on Formycon AG (ISIN: DE000A1EWVY8). Analyst Simon Scholes reiterated his BUY rating and maintained his EUR 82.00 price target.

Abstract:
Nine months results were in line with our expectations showing a 31.7% decline in revenue to €41.1m (9M/23: €60.2m) due to lower income from milestones, and reduced revenue from development of FYB201 (Lucentis biosimilar) and FYB203 (Eylea biosimilar) as planned work on these programs wound down. FYB201 was launched in 2022, and following FDA approval in June 2024 and expected EMA approval in January 2025, the launch of FYB203 is scheduled for next year subject to the outcome of ongoing litigation with Regeneron. Meanwhile, adjusted EBITDA (includes the at-equity accounted result of bioeq AG) fell only slightly to €2.9m (9M/23: €3.5m). Formycon’s most important near-term launch will be the Stelara biosimilar, FYB202, which was approved by both the FDA and the EMA in September 2024. Stelara generated worldwide sales of USD10.9bn in 2023. This compares with USD3.6bn of sales for Lucentis in 2021, the last year before the launch of biosimilars of the drug. Furthermore, Formycon will earn a royalty of 30-40% on FYB202 sales. The current royalty on FYB201 sales is 7-8%. There will be more competition on the Stelara biosimilar market than on the Lucentis biosimilar market. But critically, unlike Roche, whose 2022 launch of the Lucentis successor product, Vabysmo, coincided with the introduction of Lucentis biosimilars, Johnson & Johnson do not have a near-term successor product to Stelara. We expect Formycon to generate triple digit €m royalties from FYB202 as early as 2026. This compares with our total 2026 royalty forecast for FYB201 (including both top-line and at-equity revenues) of ca. €15m. We think the current share price level represents a good opportunity to pick up Formycon stock ahead of the lucrative FYB202 launch. We maintain our Buy recommendation with an unchanged price target of €82.

First Berlin Equity Research hat ein Research Update zu Formycon AG (ISIN: DE000A1EWVY8) veröffentlicht. Analyst Simon Scholes bestätigt seine BUY-Empfehlung und bestätigt sein Kursziel von EUR 82,00.

Zusammenfassung:
Die Neunmonatsergebnisse entsprachen unseren Erwartungen und zeigten einen Umsatzrückgang von 31,7 % auf €41,1 Mio. (9M/23: €60,2 Mio.), der auf geringere Einnahmen aus Meilensteinen und aus der Entwicklung von FYB201 (Lucentis-Biosimilar) und FYB203 (Eylea-Biosimilar) zurückzuführen ist, da die geplanten Arbeiten an diesen Programmen auslaufen. FYB201 wurde 2022 auf den Markt gebracht, und nach der FDA-Zulassung im Juni 2024 und der erwarteten EMA-Zulassung im Januar 2025 ist die Markteinführung von FYB203 für das nächste Jahr geplant, vorbehaltlich des Ausgangs des laufenden Rechtsstreits mit Regeneron. Unterdessen sank das bereinigte EBITDA (einschließlich des at-equity bilanzierten Ergebnisses der bioeq AG) nur leicht auf €2,9 Mio. (9M/23: €3,5 Mio.). Formycons wichtigste kurzfristige Markteinführung wird das Stelara-Biosimilar FYB202 sein, das im September 2024 sowohl von der FDA als auch von der EMA zugelassen wurde. Stelara erzielte 2023 einen weltweiten Umsatz von USD10,9 Mrd. Zum Vergleich: Im Jahr 2021, dem letzten Jahr vor der Einführung von Biosimilars für Lucentis, lag der Umsatz bei USD3,6 Mrd. Darüber hinaus wird Formycon eine Lizenzgebühr von 30-40 % auf den Umsatz von FYB202 erhalten. Die derzeitige Lizenzgebühr für den Umsatz von FYB201 beträgt 7-8 %. Auf dem Markt für Stelara-Biosimilars wird es mehr Wettbewerb geben als auf dem Markt für Lucentis-Biosimilars. Im Gegensatz zu Roche, dessen Lucentis-Nachfolgeprodukt Vabysmo 2022 zeitgleich mit der Einführung von Lucentis-Biosimilars auf den Markt kam, verfügt Johnson & Johnson jedoch nicht über ein kurzfristiges Nachfolgeprodukt für Stelara. Wir gehen davon aus, dass Formycon bereits im Jahr 2026 Lizenzgebühren im dreistelligen €Mio.-Bereich aus FYB202 erzielen wird. Dies steht im Vergleich zu unserer Gesamtprognose für 2026 für die Lizenzgebühren von FYB201 (einschließlich Umsatzerlöse und At-Equity-Erlöse) von ca. €15 Mio. Wir sind der Meinung, dass das aktuelle Kursniveau eine gute Gelegenheit darstellt, Formycon-Aktien im Vorfeld der lukrativen Markteinführung von FYB202 zu erwerben. Wir behalten unsere Kaufempfehlung mit einem unveränderten Kursziel von €82 bei.

Bezüglich der Pflichtangaben gem. §85 Abs. 1 S. 1 WpHG und des Haftungsausschlusses siehe die vollständige Analyse.
 

You can download the research here: http://www.more-ir.de/d/31527.pdf

Contact for questions:
First Berlin Equity Research GmbH
Herr Gaurav Tiwari
Tel.: +49 (0)30 809 39 686
web: www.firstberlin.com
E-Mail: g.tiwari@firstberlin.com

Changes in the chair of the Dräger Supervisory Board

Lübeck – Stefan Lauer, currently Chairman of all Dräger Supervisory Boards, has decided to step down as Chairman at the end of the year for health reasons. The Supervisory Board committees approved this move at their meetings today and passed the following resolutions:

From January 1, 2025, the chair of the Supervisory Board of Drägerwerk AG & Co. KGaA will be taken over by Maria Dietz, who has been a member of the Supervisory Board since 2018. The chair of all other committees (Joint Committee of Drägerwerk AG & Co. KGaA, Supervisory Board of Dräger Safety AG & Co. KGaA and Supervisory Board of Dräger Safety Verwaltungs AG) will be taken over by Professor Thorsten Grenz, who has been a member of all five Supervisory Boards since 2008 and remains Chairman of the Audit Committee. Stefan Lauer will remain Chairman of the Supervisory Board of Drägerwerk Verwaltungs AG.

Stefan Dräger, Chairman of the Executive Board of Drägerwerk Verwaltungs AG: “I am very pleased with this team effort by the Supervisory Board. In this way, we can ensure the Company’s ability to act and enable the current Chairman to heal. I would like to thank Maria Dietz and Thorsten Grenz for their willingness to take on additional responsibility and wish Stefan Lauer good health.”

Once Stefan Lauer has made a full recovery, the committees will once again decide on their chair.

Hamburg, Germany, 11 December 2024:
Evotec SE (Frankfurt Stock Exchange: EVT, SDAX/TecDAX, ISIN: DE0005664809; NASDAQ: EVO) announced that its translational drug discovery accelerator with Novo Nordisk, LAB eN², which aims to nurture early research from academic institutions into novel therapeutics, has selected its first three projects to move forward in the program from Boston University, Harvard University in collaboration with Mass General Brigham, and Joslin Diabetes Center. LAB eN² is also expanding to include five additional academic institutions: Boston Children’s Hospital, Boston University, Johns Hopkins University, Joslin Diabetes Center, and the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai.

“We are thrilled to be able to start work on these first projects, leveraging Evotec’s integrated drug discovery and translational platforms and Novo Nordisk’s deep disease understanding,” said Dr Thomas Hanke, EVP & Head of Academic Partnerships at Evotec. “We are confident that LAB eN² will accelerate promising and innovative therapeutic concepts from bench to bedside in disease areas with significant unmet need. With Boston Children’s Hospital, Boston University, Johns Hopkins University, Joslin Diabetes Center, and Icahn Mount Sinai, we welcome five additional stellar academic institutions to LAB eN². Together with our partner Novo Nordisk, this translational drug discovery accelerator provides an ideal breeding ground to take leading-edge academic science from concept to drug candidate.”

The first three selected projects will focus on driving forward research for different cardiometabolic conditions. The Boston University project, spearheaded by Drs. Victoria Herrera and Nelson Ruiz-Opazo and their collaborators Drs. Sushrut Waikar and Joel Henderson, will leverage unique insights into the role of inflammation within cardiometabolic diseases to discover pharmacological interventions, with a primary focus on chronic kidney disease (CKD) to start, and secondary focus on obesity. The research project led by Dr. Sloan Devlin at Harvard Medical School, in collaboration with Dr. Eric Sheu at Mass General Brigham, will characterize potential modulators of metabolic disease by investigating molecular mechanisms related to bariatric surgery. In the long term, the team aims to develop novel therapeutic candidates for the potential treatment of metabolic syndrome, including insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes. The Joslin Diabetes Center project, led by Dr. Peng Yi, Investigator at Joslin Diabetes Center and Assistant Professor of Harvard Medical School, will focus on type 1 diabetes, with a novel target approach aimed at modulating autoimmune response. The selected projects are initially funded with a Discovery Award to reach key pre-clinical value-inflection points. After reaching key pre-clinical milestones projects can be considered for additional funding up to the IND application stage and Novo Nordisk has the option to further develop and license specific programs.

“We have been so impressed by the scientific ideas that have been uncovered through this program and our ongoing collaboration with our academic partners,” said Uli Stilz, Head of Novo Nordisk’s Bio Innovation Hub. “The first selected projects offer novel approaches to address chronic cardiometabolic conditions, and we look forward to working with the primary investigators to advance their research. We launched LAB eN² with the intention to help bridge the translational research gap – we’ve been pleased with the progress so far and with the addition of five institutions, we have the opportunity to further our ability to drive more scientific ideas forward.”

Evotec and Novo Nordisk launched LAB eN² in September 2023 together with four academic institutions, Harvard University, Mass General Brigham, Yale School of Medicine, and Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center. Under the expansion, researchers from Boston Children’s Hospital, Boston University, Johns Hopkins University, Joslin Diabetes Center, and Icahn Mount Sinai can now also apply to LAB eN² with their projects. Leveraging access to Evotec’s integrated R&D platform and Novo Nordisk’s deep disease understanding, LAB eN² provides funding to design a drug discovery program and identify a therapeutic candidate across a range of therapeutic modalities.

About LAB eN²
LAB eN² was created to provide a solution-focused pathway for academic researchers, with a mission to accelerate the translation of their academic discoveries into investigational new drug (“IND”) candidates for cardiometabolic diseases as well as rare blood and rare endocrine disorders. LAB eN² provides funding, scientific expertise, and technology to help advance product concepts through pre-clinical proof of concept, at which point successful therapeutic product candidates may be selected by Novo Nordisk for further investment and development. Participating academic institutions work under a common governance framework with the goal of accelerating ideas easily. Research concepts are selected for LAB eN² support based on proposals from investigators at the participating academic institutions and are jointly developed and executed by the academic investigators, Evotec, and Novo Nordisk’s Bio Innovation Hub in Cambridge, Massachusetts, an R&D unit designed to work with academia, emerging biotechs, and established companies to uncover medical answers. For more details on LAB eN², please visit: https://laben2.com/.
 

About Evotec SE
Evotec is a life science company with a unique business model that delivers on its mission to discover and develop highly effective therapeutics and make them available to the patients. The Company’s multimodality platform comprises a unique combination of innovative technologies, data and science for the discovery, development, and production of first-in-class and best-in-class pharmaceutical products. Evotec provides high value pipeline co-creating partnerships and solutions to all Top 20 Pharma and over 800 biotechnology companies, academic institutions, as well as other healthcare stakeholders. Evotec has strategic activities in a broad range of currently underserved therapeutic areas, including e.g. neurology, oncology, as well as metabolic and infectious diseases. Within these areas of expertise, Evotec aims to create the world-leading co-owned pipeline for innovative therapeutics and has to-date established a portfolio of more than 200 proprietary and co-owned R&D projects from early discovery to clinical development. Evotec operates globally with more than 5,000 highly qualified people. The Company’s sites in Europe and the USA offer highly synergistic technologies and services and operate as complementary clusters of excellence. For additional information please go to www.evotec.com and follow us on X/Twitter @Evotec and LinkedIn.

Forward-looking statements
This announcement contains forward-looking statements concerning future events, including the proposed offering and listing of Evotec’s securities. Words such as “anticipate,” “believe,” “could,” “estimate,” “expect,” “intend,” “may,” “might,” “plan,” “potential,” “should,” “target,” “would” and variations of such words and similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements. Such statements include comments regarding Evotec’s expectations for revenues, Group EBITDA and unpartnered R&D expenses. These forward-looking statements are based on the information available to, and the expectations and assumptions deemed reasonable by Evotec at the time these statements were made. No assurance can be given that such expectations will prove to have been correct. These statements involve known and unknown risks and are based upon a number of assumptions and estimates, which are inherently subject to significant uncertainties and contingencies, many of which are beyond the control of Evotec. Evotec expressly disclaims any obligations or undertaking to release publicly any updates or revisions to any forward-looking statements contained herein to reflect any change in Evotec’s expectations with respect thereto or any change in events, conditions or circumstances on which any statement is based. 

For further information, please contact:

Investor Relations

Volker Braun
EVP Head of Global Investor Relations & ESG
Volker.Braun@evotec.com 

Media

Susanne Kreuter
VP Head of Strategic Marketing
Susanne.Kreuter@evotec.com

Gerresheimer successfully completes acquisition of Blitz LuxCo Sarl, the holding company of the Bormioli Pharma Group

• Complementary product portfolio and broad footprint of production sites in Europe
• Strengthening the market position as a full-service provider for the pharma and biotech industry
• Strategic reset of Moulded Glass business

Düsseldorf, December 11, 2024 – Gerresheimer, an innovative systems and solutions provider and global partner for the pharma, biotech and cosmetics industries, has successfully completed the acquisition of Blitz LuxCo Sarl, the holding company of the Bormioli Pharma Group announced in May 2024. The closing was preceded by the fulfillment of customary closing conditions. Bormioli Pharma has a portfolio of pharmaceutical primary packaging made of glass and plastic as well as closure solutions, accessories and dosing systems that is complementary to Gerresheimer. With this acquisition, Gerresheimer strengthens its European footprint with additional production sites and underpins its market position as a leading full-service provider and global partner for the pharma and biotech industries. Gerresheimer expects the acquisition to be accretive to the Group’s Adj. EBITDA margin and Adj. EPS from the first year onwards through synergies. On February 26, 2025, Gerresheimer will publish a new guidance for the combined company together with the results for the financial year 2024.

“Following the successful completion of the acquisition, we can now focus on the integration of Bormioli Pharma into the Gerresheimer Group,” explains Dietmar Siemssen, CEO of Gerresheimer AG. “We are convinced that our customers will benefit from the expansion of the product portfolio and new, integrated systems and solutions.”

Complementary, attractive product portfolio

In 2023, Bormioli Pharma generated sales of around EUR 371 million and an Adj. EBITDA margin of around 22%. The company manufactures pharmaceutical primary packaging made of glass and plastic as well as closure solutions, accessories and dosing systems. In the plastics segment, Bormioli Pharma is one of the leading suppliers of pharmaceutical plastic systems and solutions. In the glass segment, Bormioli Pharma has an attractive portfolio for parenteral and other pharmaceutical primary packaging.

Strategic reset of Moulded Glass business

The acquisition creates a new, strong Moulded Glass unit with a diversified product portfolio for the pharmaceutical, cosmetics, food and beverage industries. This globally active unit offers new options for a strategic reset for the best growth prospects and competitiveness, which will be evaluated in the coming months.

New guidance for combined company in February 2025

Bormioli Pharma will become part of the Gerresheimer Group and will be fully consolidated retroactively as of December 1, 2024, the start of Gerresheimer’s new financial year 2025. Therefore, on February 26, 2025, together with the results for the financial year 2024, Gerresheimer will publish a new guidance for 2025 and a new mid-term guidance for the combined company.     

About Bormioli Pharma

Established in 1825, Bormioli Pharma is a leading pharma primary packaging manufacturer serving the industry with complete solutions, including glass and plastic bottles, plastic and aluminum closures and accessories. Bormioli Pharma’s products are designed and manufactured to drive innovation and deliver effective solutions to the growing challenges of sustainability. Bormioli Pharma has become part of the Gerresheimer Group in December 2024, an innovative systems and solutions provider and a global partner for the pharma, biotech and cosmetic industries. The Group offers a comprehensive portfolio of drug containment solutions including closures and accessories, as well as drug delivery systems, medical devices and solutions for the health industry. Gerresheimer operates over 40 production sites in 16 countries in Europe, America and Asia and currently employs around 13,400 people.

www.bormiolipharma.com

About Gerresheimer
Gerresheimer is an innovative systems and solutions provider and a global partner for the pharma, biotech and cosmetic industries. The Group offers a comprehensive portfolio of drug containment solutions including closures and accessories, as well as drug delivery systems, medical devices and solutions for the health industry. The product range includes digital solutions for therapy support, medication pumps, syringes, pens, auto-injectors and inhalers as well as vials, cartridges, ampoules, tablet containers, infusion, dropper and syrup bottles and more. Gerresheimer ensures the safe delivery and reliable administration of drugs to the patient. Gerresheimer supports its customers with comprehensive services along the value chain and in addressing the growing demand for enhanced sustainability. With over 40 production sites in 16 countries in Europe, America and Asia, Gerresheimer has a global presence and produces locally for regional markets.  The Group generated revenues of around €2bn in 2023 and currently employs around 13,400 people. Gerresheimer AG is listed in the MDAX on the Frankfurt Stock Exchange (ISIN: DE000A0LD6E6).   www.gerresheimer.com

Contact Gerresheimer AG

Conference Call Invitation

Conference call on the results for the 4th quarter 2023/2024 (ending 30 September 2024) on 19 December2024

Düsseldorf, 10 December 2024 – The DOUGLAS Group, Europe’s number one omnichannel destination for premium beauty, invites you to an analyst and investor update call on the fourth quarter 2023/2024 on 19 December 2024.

The conference call on the results will be held at 11:00 a.m. CEST on 19 December 2024.

To participate in the conference call, please make use of one of the following options:

• To participate in the audio conference, please use this link to register for the conference call.
  • Please use this webcast link to follow the presentation when dialed in.
• You can follow the webcast with audio via this link.

About the DOUGLAS Group

The DOUGLAS Group, with its commercial brands DOUGLAS, NOCIBÉ, Parfumdreams and Niche Beauty, is the number one omnichannel premium beauty destination in Europe. The DOUGLAS Group is inspiring customers to live their own kind of beauty by offering a unique assortment online and in around 1,870 stores. With unparalleled size and access to customers, the DOUGLAS Group is the partner of choice for brands and offers a premium range of selective and exclusive brands as well as own corporate brands. The assortment includes fragrances, color cosmetics, skin care, hair care, accessories as well as beauty services. Strengthening its successful omnichannel positioning while consistently developing superior customer experience is at the heart of the DOUGLAS Group strategy “Let it Bloom – DOUGLAS 2026”. The winning business model is underpinned by the Group’s omnichannel proposition, leading brands, and data capabilities. In the financial year 2022/23, the DOUGLAS Group generated sales (net) of 4.1 billion euros and employed around 18,000 people across Europe. The DOUGLAS Group (Douglas AG) is listed at the Frankfurt Stock Exchange.

For further information please visit the DOUGLAS Group Website.
 

Investor Contact

Stefanie Steiner
Director Investor Relations and M&A
Phone: +49 211 16847 8594
Mail: ir@douglas.de