Autolus announces confidential filing for poten...

Syncona Limited

Autolus announces confidential submission for potential IPO

6 March 2018

Syncona Ltd, a leading healthcare company focused on investing in and building global leaders in life science, today notes the announcement from its portfolio company, Autolus, that it has made a confidential submission of a draft registration statement on Form F-1 to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission relating to a potential initial public offering of ordinary shares in the United States.

The process is at a preliminary stage and an initial public offering may or may not be pursued by Autolus. Syncona is the largest shareholder in Autolus and is highly supportive of the company over the long term in line with Syncona’s strategy to build global leaders in life science and deliver transformational treatments to patients.

This announcement is being made pursuant to and in accordance with Rule 135 under the U.S. Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and does not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy securities, and shall not constitute an offer, solicitation or sale in any jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful prior to registration or qualification under the securities laws of that jurisdiction.

[ENDS]                              

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Copies of this press release and other corporate information can be found on the company website at: www.synconaltd.com  

Forward-looking statements – this announcement contains certain forward-looking statements with respect to the portfolio of investments of Syncona Ltd. These statements and forecasts involve risk and uncertainty because they relate to events and depend upon circumstances that may or may not occur in the future. There are a number of factors that could cause actual results or developments to differ materially from those expressed or implied by these forward-looking statements and forecasts. Nothing in this announcement should be construed as a profit forecast. 

About Syncona:

Syncona is a leading FTSE250 healthcare company focused on investing in and building global leaders in life science. Our vision is to deliver transformational treatments to patients in truly innovative areas of healthcare while generating superior returns for shareholders. Our current investment portfolio consists of seven high quality companies in life science and a leading range of fund investments. 

We seek to partner with the best, brightest and most ambitious minds in science to build globally competitive businesses. We are established leaders in gene therapy, cell therapy and advanced diagnostics, and focus on delivering dramatic efficacy for patients in areas of high unmet need.

Our market leading funds portfolio seeks to generate superior returns by investing in long only and alternative investment funds. This represents a productively deployed evergreen funding base which enables us to take a long term approach to investing in life sciences as we target the best new opportunities and support our existing portfolio companies to grow and succeed.

Syncona is aligned with two of the premium charitable funders in UK science, the Wellcome Trust, original founder of Syncona, and Cancer Research UK, both of which are significant shareholders in our business.  We make a donation of 0.3% of Net Asset Value to a range of charities each year.