Ipsen Provides Update on Recent Agreement with Inspiration

PARIS--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Regulatory News:

Ipsen (Paris:IPN) (Euronext: IPN; ADR: IPSEY) announced today that Inspiration Biopharmaceuticals Inc. (Inspiration) had not raised third party financing by the contractual deadline of 30 September 2012. Consequently, Ipsen is no longer obligated to pay the additional $12.5 million in exchange for Inspiration equity. The parties continue to explore various options.

On 31 August 2012, Ipsen paid Inspiration $7.5 million as part of the agreement renegotiated on 21 August 2012.

About the partnership agreement between Inspiration and Ipsen and the product portfolio

In January 2010, Inspiration entered into a strategic agreement with Ipsen, leveraging the combined expertise and resources of the two companies, to develop a broad portfolio of hemophilia products and two products in phase III. IB1001, an investigational intravenous recombinant factor IX (rFIX) therapy for the treatment and prevention of bleeding episodes in people with hemophilia B and OBI-1 an investigational intravenous recombinant porcine factor VIII (rpFVIII) therapy for the treatment of patients with i) acquired hemophilia A and ii) congenital hemophilia A who have developed inhibitors against human FVIII.

In August 2011, Ipsen and Inspiration announced the extension of their agreement to create a hemophilia business unit structure that will act as the exclusive sales organization for all hemophilia products commercialized under the Inspiration brand in Europe.

In July 2012 Inspiration announced that IB1001 was placed on clinical hold by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

On 21 August 2012, Ipsen and Inspiration renegotiated their 2010 partnership. The new agreement aims to establish an effective structure whereby Ipsen gains commercial rights in key territories. Inspiration remains responsible for the world-wide development of OBI-1 and IB1001.

About Ipsen

Ipsen is a global specialty-driven pharmaceutical company with total sales exceeding €1.1 billion in 2011. Ipsen’s ambition is to become a leader in specialty healthcare solutions for targeted debilitating diseases. Its development strategy is supported by four franchises: neurology / Dysport®, endocrinology / Somatuline®, uro-oncology / Decapeptyl® and hemophilia. Moreover, the Group has an active policy of partnerships. Ipsen's R&D is focused on its innovative and differentiated technological platforms, peptides and toxins. In 2011, R&D expenditure totaled more than €250 million, above 21% of Group sales. The Group has total worldwide staff of close to 4,500 employees. Ipsen’s shares are traded on segment A of Euronext Paris (stock code: IPN, ISIN code: FR0010259150) and eligible to the “Service de Règlement Différé” (“SRD”). The Group is part of the SBF 120 index. Ipsen has implemented a Sponsored Level I American Depositary Receipt (ADR) program, which trade on the over-the-counter market in the United States under the symbol IPSEY. For more information on Ipsen, visit www.ipsen.com.

Ipsen’s Forward Looking Statement

The forward-looking statements, objectives and targets contained herein are based on the Group’s management strategy, current views and assumptions. Such statements involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties that may cause actual results, performance or events to differ materially from those anticipated herein. All of the above risks could affect the Group’s future ability to achieve its financial targets, which were set assuming reasonable macroeconomic conditions based on the information available today.

Moreover, the targets described in this document were prepared without taking into account external growth assumptions and potential future acquisitions, which may alter these parameters. These objectives are based on data and assumptions regarded as reasonable by the Group. These targets depend on conditions or facts likely to happen in the future, and not exclusively on historical data. Actual results may depart significantly from these targets given the occurrence of certain risks and uncertainties, notably the fact that a promising product in early development phase or clinical trial may end up never being launched on the market or reaching its commercial targets, notably for regulatory or competition reasons. The Group must face or might face competition from Generics that might translate into loose of market shares.

Furthermore, the Research and Development process involves several stages each of which involve the substantial risk that the Group may fail to achieve its objectives and be forced to abandon its efforts with regards to a product in which it has invested significant sums. Therefore, the Group cannot be certain that favorable results obtained during pre-clinical trials will be confirmed subsequently during clinical trials, or that the results of clinical trials will be sufficient to demonstrate the safe and effective nature of the product concerned. The Group also depends on third parties to develop and market some of its products which could potentially generate substantial royalties; these partners could behave in such ways which could cause damage to the Group’s activities and financial results. The Group cannot be certain that its partners will fulfill their obligations. It might be unable to obtain any benefit from those agreements. A default by any of the Group’s partners could generate lower revenues than expected. Such situations could have a negative impact on the Group’s business, financial position or performance. More specifically the possible inability for Inspiration Biopharmaceuticals Inc. to raise independent third party financing could result in the depreciation of all Inspiration-related assets for a total net amount of approximately 100 million euros after tax (unaudited figure) as of 30 September 2012.

The Group expressly disclaims any obligation or undertaking to update or revise any forward looking statements, targets or estimates contained in this press release to reflect any change in events, conditions, assumptions or circumstances on which any such statements are based, unless so required by applicable law.

The Group’s business is subject to the risk factors outlined in its registration documents filed with the French Autorité des Marchés Financiers.

Ipsen
Media
Didier Véron
Vice President, Public Affairs and Corporate Communications
Tel.: +33 (0)1 58 33 51 16
Fax: +33 (0)1 58 33 50 58
didier.veron@ipsen.com
or
Financial Community
Pierre Kemula
Vice President, Corporate Finance, Treasury and Financial Markets
Tel.: +33 (0)1 58 33 60 08
Fax: +33 (0)1 58 33 50 63
pierre.kemula@ipsen.com
or
Stéphane Durant des Aulnois
Investor Relations Manager
Tel.: +33 (0)1 58 33 60 09
Fax: +33 (0)1 58 33 50 63
stephane.durant.des.aulnois@ipsen.com

Source: Ipsen