Press release augurix-tillots_final

PRESS RELEASE
07 September 2011
Augurix and Tillotts sign agreement for the commercialization of Simtomax® for rapid
diagnosis of celiac disease
Monthey/Rheinfelden, Switzerland - 7 September 2011: Augurix SA (“Augurix”) and Til otts Pharma AG (“Til otts”) are pleased to announce that they have entered into a commercialization agreement for Simtomax®, a rapid point-of-care diagnostic test for celiac disease. The agreement grants Til otts the exclusive right to distribute and supply Simtomax® in dedicated key European markets. Simtomax® is already available in Switzerland, Italy and France. Thierry Duvanel, CEO of Augurix Diagnostics, said: “Celiac disease is a vastly undiagnosed disease, mainly due to the complexity of existing testing procedures. Simtomax®, Augurix’ highly-sensitive point-of-care test, allows for early screening by running three analyses rapidly in a simple, one-step test. The expertise of Tillotts in the field of gastroenterology will be key in distributing Simtomax®. We are pleased to be working with Til otts to provide high quality tests to the marketplace.” “The partnership with Augurix for the commercialization of their state of the art diagnostic test for the detection of celiac disease is a further important milestone in building an attractive and innovative gastrointestinal product portfolio. Simtomax® perfectly complements our core competencies within gastroenterology and fits very well with Tillotts’ Asacol® and Colpermin®,” commented Thomas A. Tóth von Kiskér, President and CEO of Til otts. Celiac disease, also known as gluten intolerance, is a widespread gastrointestinal disorder. This food intolerance to gluten, a protein found in wheat, barley and rye, affects over 26 mil ion people worldwide.1 Left untreated, celiac disease can lead to long term health issues such as infertility, osteoporosis, and cancers of the digestive tract,2 yet it is estimated that 90% of patients remain undiagnosed.3 Simtomax® addresses a significant unmet need in the diagnosis of celiac disease by offering a simple, one-step, lab-accurate diagnosis of celiac disease and IgA deficiency for all patients in only ten minutes. This fingertip blood test can be performed immediately at the point of care and replaces the standard laboratory analyses performed on a blood sample drawn from a venous puncture. Simtomax® requires no training or equipment and can be stored at room temperature. Augurix received the 2010 Frost & Sullivan European Product Differentiation Excellence Award in Point of Care for the development of Simtomax®. About Augurix
Augurix is a Swiss medical diagnostic company based in Monthey, Switzerland. Augurix develops,
manufactures and markets disposable, pocket-size medical devices for rapid screening, diagnostic and
monitoring of chronic conditions, with a strong focus on gastroenterology. Augurix’s patented technology
enables seamless and rapid screening at the point of care, from whole blood, serum, plasma or saliva. For
more information, please visit www.augurix.com.

About Tillotts
Til otts is a specialty pharma company with a leading position in the field of gastroenterology with its headquarters in Rheinfelden, Switzerland. It is a subsidiary of Zeria Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd., (www.zeria.co.jp) a company publicly traded on the Tokyo stock exchange. Til otts specializes in the development and commercialization of pharmaceutical products, diagnostics, and medical devices, all in the field of gastroenterology. For more information, please visit www.til otts.com. For further information please contact:
Thierry Duvanel, CEO Augurix SA - [email protected] - Tel: +41 848 235 422 Theo Schal er, Til otts Pharma AG - tschal er@til otts.com - Tel: +41 619 352 626
References
1- Fasano A, Catassi C. Current approaches to diagnosis and treatment of celiac disease: an evolving spectrum. Gastroenterology. 2001 Feb; 120(3):636-51. 2- Moher D. et al. Evidence Report. Technology Assessment Number 194 – Celiac Disease. University of Ottawa Evidence-based Practice Center, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Canada 3- Ravikumara M. et al. Ninety percent of celiac disease is being missed. J Pediatr Gastroenterol Nutr. 2007 Til otts’ trade marks Til otts®, Asacol®, Octasa®, Asacolon®, Colpermin®, Topasa® and Xenema® are either registered or applied for in up to 70 countries. The trade mark Asacol® is a registered trade mark in the United States of America, Canada and the United Kingdom owned by Warner Chilcott. Asacol® is a registered trade mark in Italy owned by Giuliani and in Switzerland by Sanofi-Aventis. In the Benelux the trade mark is registered by Nycomed. Colpermin® is a registered trade mark by Johnson & Johnson for the United Kingdom and Ireland. Simtomax® and the Simtomax logo are registered trademarks of Augurix SA.

Source: http://www.augurix.com/downloads/PRESS%20RELEASE%20Augurix-Tillots.pdf