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Berlin, 25 February 2005: Atugen AG announced today that Dr. Steven St. Peter, a Partner of MPM Capital which is an investor in Atugen, has joined Atugen’s Supervisory Board. Dr. St. Peter is a doctor of medicine, trained at Washington University and the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania. He joined MPM in 2004 having previously worked with Apax Partners and The Carlyle Group. His investment scope has included both venture and buyout transactions across medical technology and pharmaceuticals. Prior to his medical training, Dr. St. Peter was an investment banker at Merrill Lynch. Dr. St. Peter is board certified in internal medicine and is an assistant Clinical Professor of Medicine at Columbia University. He completed his Doctor of Medicine at Washington University and his residency and fellowship at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania. He also holds an MBA from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania and a BA in chemistry from the University of Kansas. He is currently a Director of IDEA AG, Omrix and PharmAthene. Atugen is pursuing an in-house program to develop siRNA therapeutics for advanced cancer treatment. Development programs in other indications are being pursued through partnerships with biotech and pharma companies. Atugen has developed atuRNAiÔ, proprietary siRNA molecules with improved bioavailability. Furthermore, the Company uses atuPLEX™, novel, patented formulations for systemic delivery in animals and humans. Welcoming Dr. St. Peter to the Atugen Supervisory Board, its Chair, Jeremy Curnock Cook, said: “Steven St. Peter brings key business expertise from the pharmaceutical world where Atugen is building important alliances for its drug development program. We are fortunate to have his particular insights as Atugen progresses towards its first entry into the clinic with its siRNA molecules.” Dr. St. Peter said, “Atugen’s work in the field of siRNA therapeutics has already impressed MPM sufficiently to invest in the Company and I am pleased to play a role in its further development in the field of novel RNAi therapeutics.” -ENDS- Contact: Katja Stout/Ashley Lilly, Northbank Communications Tel: +44 (0) 20 7886 8156 Email: a.lilly@northbankcommunications.com Dr Andre Lochter, Director Business Development, Atugen AG Tel: +49 30 9489 2804 Email: lochter@atugen.com Notes to Editors: Atugen, www.atugen.com, the RNAi Therapeutics Company, has core competence in functional gene silencing. The Company has developed stabilized, proprietary siRNA molecules (atuRNAiÔ) for use in animals and humans. Several proof-of-concept studies in animals have shown that atuRNAiÔ can be used either alone or in combination with custom-tailored delivery vehicles, atuPLEX™, to successfully treat cancer and other diseases. The strategic focus of the company is now to take its RNAi technology into the clinic in advanced cancer indications. In other fields such as ophthalmology, Atugen is establishing development partnerships. MPM Capital, www.mpmcapital.com, is the world's largest dedicated investor in life sciences. With committed capital under active management of more than $2.1 billion, MPM is uniquely structured to invest globally in healthcare innovation. In addition to its BioVentures family of venture capital funds, MPM invests in the public markets through its BioEquities hedge fund. Primarily in biotechnology, but also in medical devices and biopharmaceuticals, MPM has seamlessly integrated private and public equity products to target innovation in healthcare and, thereby, deliver exceptional returns to investors. The MPM BioVentures and MPM BioEquities family of funds are two distinctly different but highly complementary investment vehicles.
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