Sunday, February 13, 2011

Global Life Sciences Leader Burrill & Company and National Technology Enterprises Company Officially Launch NewBridge Pharmaceuticals in Dubai



Joint Venture Company in Dubai to Focus on Middle East, Africa,

Turkey and Caspian Region

v Company to Specialise in in-Licensing, Acquiring, Registering and
Commercialising Therapeutics Approved by US, European and
Japanese Drug Regulatory Authorities

Dubai-UAE: 13 February, 2011 – NewBridge Pharmaceuticals (NBP), a company

specialising in in-licensing, acquiring, registering and commercialising therapeutics

approved by the regulatory authorities in the US, Europe and Japan, was officially

launched in Dubai in the presence of regional as well as international industry and

business leaders.

A joint venture by San Francisco-based global leader in life sciences Burrill & Company,

and the life sciences arm of the National Technology Enterprises Company (NTEC), a

Kuwait Investment Authority-mandated fund, the NBP headquarters is based at the

Dubai Biotechnology and Research Park (DuBiotech), the region’s leading life sciences

park. The company will focus on the Middle East, Africa, Turkey and the Caspian

regions (AfMET).

NBP will initially specialize in oncology, endocrine and metabolic disorders (obesity and

diabetes), gastroenterology, cardiovascular and dermatology franchises. In the future,

NBP will additionally explore opportunities in OTC and point-of-care diagnostics.

Joe Henein, CEO and President of NewBridge Pharmaceuticals, said: “We are delighted

to commence our operations in Dubai as the hub for our business outreach into

the region. Our business model’s value lies in our highly professional team with

competencies in the areas of registration, medical, pharmacovigilance and commercial

capabilities acquired through years of working in multinational pharma.

“We also offer an integrated strategy of regional expertise and international access

that translates into connectivity with a wide range of partners and key stakeholders in

and out of the region, and offers a flexible approach to joint ventures and partnerships.

Finally, NewBridge is about creating a regional platform that will facilitate the

introduction of innovative products that meet the specific disease prevalence of the

region such as cancer, diabetes, and obesity.”

G. Steven Burrill, CEO of Burrill & Company and board member of NewBridge,

addressed the audience on ‘Biotech 2011 – Looking Back to See Ahead’ at the launch

event.

Burrill said: “In the next five years, the biotechnology and pharmaceutical industry in

emerging markets, including the Middle East, will contribute to more than half of the

global growth, valued at US$160 billion. And this will take their global market share to

around 25 per cent. The industry will be driven by a growing young population, a clear

policy commitment to healthcare, as well as a shift in disease trends that is creating

new demands.

“With NewBridge Pharmaceuticals, we aspire to be at the forefront of the next

generation of healthcare companies that will use innovation to reduce the burden of

disease incidence and remain an integral part of the disease management process,

while providing pre-emptive and preventive medicine.”

Qais Marafie, Assistant Vice-President – Investment Projects Life Sciences at NTEC,

and a board member of NBP, said: “Through this company, we aim to create a base

for marketing products exclusively owned by NewBridge Pharmaceuticals in the

Middle East region. In collaboration with Burrill & Company, we assessed this project

since inception and we are proud to deal with this creative team that has extensive

knowledge of the region.

“In addition, we will complement the offering of NewBridge Pharmaceuticals for future

projects in the life sciences domain. Our investments in this area currently represent

nearly one third of our total portfolio and we are looking to expand this stake while

focusing on business opportunities that offer sustainable long-term growth.”

NewBridge Pharmaceuticals will complement the industry offerings and meet niche

requirements in the Middle East, Africa, Turkey and Caspian (AfMET) market that is

approximately valued at US$33 billion and has a projected average annual growth rate

of nine per cent.

About NewBridgePharmaceuticals:
Based in Dubai, UAE, NewBridge is a specialty pharmaceutical, biologics, medical devices company serving
the emerging markets of Africa, Middle East, Turkey, and Caspian regions (collectively, AfMET) to address
the unmet medical needs in diseases with high regional prevalence such as cancer, diabetes, renal and
cardiovascular diseases and other metabolic disorders. NewBridge in-licenses and commercializes FDA and
EMA/European and Japanese -approved therapeutics. NewBridge is led by an experienced management
team and backed by top-tier investors including Burrill & Company and the National Technology
Enterprises Company.

About NTEC (National Technology Enterprises Company):
National Technology Enterprises Company (NTEC), a fully owned subsidiary of the Kuwait Investment
Authority (KIA), was established in 2002. Officially commencing operations in 2005 with a paid-up capital
of KD45 million, the company is mandated to play a vital role in servicing major stakeholders in Kuwait in
their technology needs. It invests in high potential companies that are fully developed or at the forefront
of developing new technologies which will benefit Kuwait and the entire GCC region.

About Burrill&Company:
Founded in 1994, Burrill & Company is a San Francisco-based global leader in life sciences with activities
in Venture Capital, Private Equity, Merchant Banking and Media. The Burrill family of venture capital funds
has US$1 billion under management and its merchant banking business is one of the industry leaders in
life sciences transactions.

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