Life Sciences Partners Co-leads CHF 17.0M Series A financing of Vivendy Therapeutics AG

Vivendy Therapeutics Ltd. is a pharmaceutical start up company that is developing an enzyme replacement therapy (ERT) for Morbus Morquio (Mucopolysaccharidosis (MPS) IVA), a rare lysosomal storage disease. Since it is a rare disease, it applies to orphan-drug-status criteria in the United States, Europe and Japan. The new CEO, Dr. Roland Toder states: ”With no drug therapy available, Morquio patients and their families experience prolonged and significant suffering. The ERT provides Morquio patients with the enzyme they are naturally lacking and therefore represents the first true therapy for this rare disease. We are pleased that we were able to attract such world class investors to our company at this important time in our development. We are confident that with their support, we will build on our promising preclinical results to advance the clinical development program of an enzyme replacement therapy for Morquio.”

Today, there is no therapy for MPS IVA in place, therefore the development of Morbus Morquio ERT addresses unmet medical needs with a high chance of success due to the fact that Vivendy Therapeutics is applying the established strategy of ERT with the Morquio specific enzyme. Dr. Christoph Heinzen, Founder and Technical Director of Vivendy Therapeutics said: ”We developed a specific recombinant human enzyme tailored to meet the particular requirements for Morbus Morquio - enhancing the efficacy of the therapy significantly.”

Dr. Jörg Neerman, Partner at LSP and member of Vivendy's Board of Directors adds „According to a new regulation within the EU an early access for MPS IVA patients to the new treatment can be provided. This would allow returns on investment earlier and before the total cost of product develop- ment has been expended.”

About LSP

LSP (Life Sciences Partners) is a leading independent European venture capital firm, providing private equity financing to early- to mid-stage life-science companies. Since the late 1980s, LSP's management has invested in a large number of highly innovative enterprises, many of which have grown to become leaders of the global life-science industry. For example, LSP was a founding investor in Crucell, DNage, Qiagen, Rhein Biotech and Pharming. With EUR 400 million under management and offices in Amsterdam, Munich and Boston, LSP is one of Europe's largest and most experienced specialist life-science investors. Further information on Life Science Partners is available at www.lspvc.com

About Vivendy Therapeutics Ltd.

Vivendy Therapeutics was founded in March 2006, as a spin-off of Inotech Biotechnologies AG. The company's mission is the development of an enzyme replacement therapy (ERT) for Morbus Morquio (Mucopolysaccharidosis - MPS IVA), a rare lysosomal storage disease, based on a gene deficiency with an incidence of 1 to 200 000 live births. MPS IVA represents 5% of the lysosomal storage disorders (LSDs).

Contact info: LSP Dr. Joerg Neermann, Partner Tel: +49 89 330 666 0 Fax: +49 89 330 666 29