First day of dealings on AIM

Allergy Therapeutics Ltd 11 October 2004 For Immediate Release 11 October 2004 Not for release or distribution in the United States of America, Canada, Australia, the Republic of Ireland, South Africa or Japan Allergy Therapeutics plc First Day of Dealing on the Alternative Investment Market ("AIM") Allergy Therapeutics plc ("Allergy Therapeutics" or "the Company") (LSE: AGY), the specialty pharmaceuticals company focused on allergy vaccines, is pleased to announce its flotation on the Alternative Investment Market ("AIM") today. The Company has raised £16 million via a placing to institutional investors at the price of 73 pence per share, valuing the company at £46 million on admission. KBC Peel Hunt is acting as the Company's nominated adviser and broker. Key points • Allergy Therapeutics has a manufacturing, sales & marketing and product development infrastructure supporting a portfolio of marketed products and a development pipeline of innovative patented vaccines, focused on achieving market approvals from the major regulatory agencies world-wide. • The treatment of allergies is one of the largest therapeutic areas with estimated related sales of over US$12 billion worldwide. In the US alone, it is estimated that between 40 and 60 million people suffer from allergies. Allergy treatment is currently focused on the management of symptoms, through the use of anti-histamines and steroids, providing only temporary relief. • Allergy vaccination is currently the only treatment that can cure the underlying disease process. • The directors believe that capturing maximum market share with allergy vaccines will come by improving the characteristics of the allergy vaccination products and achieving registrations in major markets. The Group has certain exclusive rights world-wide to MPL(R), a novel vaccine adjuvant. Allergy Therapeutics' short course, fast acting, well-tolerated MPL(R)-based vaccines are designed, once registered, to achieve this market expansion. • The directors believe that the Group's subcutaneous development products, owing to the extensive clinical experience already gained through sales on a named-patient basis, present low development risk and that an efficacious, convenient sublingual allergy vaccine would have the potential to be a first line treatment for allergic disease. Commenting on the flotation, Keith Carter, Chief Executive of Allergy Therapeutics, said: "We are delighted to be joining AIM today. The money we have raised will enable us to accelerate the development and commercialisation of all our new products. Allergy vaccination is the only curative treatment and by making the products more accessible and patient-friendly we aim to offer allergy sufferers a better alternative to traditional symptomatic medication. We look forward to reporting our progress to the market over the coming months." For further information, please contact: Allergy Therapeutics 01903 844720 Keith Carter, Chief Executive KBC Peel Hunt 020 7418 8900 Capel Irwin / David Anderson Grandfield 020 7417 4170 Samantha Robbins / Charles Cook Details of the placing Placing price 73 pence Number of Ordinary shares being placed 21,917,808 Number of Ordinary shares in issue at the time of admission 62,950,632 Market capitalisation at placing price £46 million Net proceeds of the placing receivable by the Company £15 million Note to picture editors: Photographs are available from Grandfield. Please contact Samantha Robbins on 020 7417 4181 or at samantha.robbins@grandfield.com. This information is provided by RNS The company news service from the London Stock Exchange
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