Santhera Receives US Patent for Fipamezole in the Treatment of Neurodegenerative Diseases

Santhera Pharmaceuticals Holding AG / Santhera Receives US Patent for Fipamezole in the Treatment of Neurodegenerative Diseases . Processed and transmitted by Nasdaq OMX Corporate Solutions. The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.

Liestal, Switzerland, March 19, 2014 - Santhera Pharmaceuticals (SIX: SANN) announced today that the United States Patent and Trademark Office has issued a Notice of Allowance for a Santhera patent which protects the use of the oromucosal administration route for fipamezole. The US patent 8,653,122, which provides an exclusivity period until 2027, is crucial for the commercial exploitation of fipamezole in the field of neurodegenerative diseases. Santhera has global rights to fipamezole and has previously published promising data of its Phase IIb clinical trial in the treatment of levodopa-induced dyskinesia in Parkinson's disease.

The US patent claims the use of fipamezole via the oromucosal route of administration, which is essentially the only method of administration that achieves sufficient plasma levels of the drug and that is suitable for long-term treatment. Santhera previously received notice of allowance for equivalent patents in the EU and most other important markets worldwide.

Thomas Meier, Chief Executive Officer of Santhera, commented: "This US patent now completes the patent protection estate for the fipamezole program and allows the commercial exploitation of fipamezole as potential treatment of neurodegenerative diseases, most notably of levodopa-induced dyskinesia in Parkinson's disease. As Santhera is mainly focusing on the registration of Raxone®/Catena® in Leber's Hereditary Optic Neuropathy, fipamezole is currently available for licensing."

About Fipamezole
Fipamezole is an innovative and highly selective adrenergic alpha-2 receptor antagonist, perceived by clinicians to be one of the most promising drug candidates for the treatment of levodopa-induced dyskinesia in Parkinson's disease, the second most common and a severely debilitating neurodegenerative disorder. Santhera demonstrated in a Phase IIb clinical trial that oromucosal fipamezole has the potential to safely and effectively reduce levodopa-induced dyskinesia and daily "off" time without exacerbation of parkinsonism [1].

[1] LeWitt P., et al (2012). Randomized clinical trial of fipamezole for dyskinesia in Parkinson disease (FJORD study). Neurology 79:163-169.

***

About Santhera
Santhera Pharmaceuticals (SIX: SANN) is a Swiss specialty pharmaceutical company focused on the development and commercialization of innovative pharmaceutical products for the treatment of orphan mitochondrial and neuromuscular diseases, such as Leber's Hereditary Optic Neuropathy, Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy and primary progressive Multiple Sclerosis, all of them areas of high unmet medical need with no current therapies.
For further information, please visit www.santhera.com.

Raxone® and Catena®are trademarks of Santhera Pharmaceuticals.

For further information, contact
Thomas Meier, Chief Executive Officer
Phone: +41 61 906 89 64
thomas.meier@santhera.com

Disclaimer / Forward-looking statements
This communication does not constitute an offer or invitation to subscribe for or purchase any securities of Santhera Pharmaceuticals Holding AG. This publication may contain certain forward-looking statements concerning the Company and its business. Such statements involve certain risks, uncertainties and other factors which could cause the actual results, financial condition, performance or achievements of the Company to be materially different from those expressed or implied by such statements. Readers should therefore not place undue reliance on these statements, particularly not in connection with any contract or investment decision. The Company disclaims any obligation to update these forward-looking statements.

--- End of Message ---

Santhera Pharmaceuticals Holding AG
Hammerstrasse 49 Liestal Switzerland

ISIN: CH0027148649;