Nanotechnology Now - Press Release: Nanostart majority-owned MagForce Nanotechnologies AG names Dr. Peter Heinrich as new CEO

Home > Press > Nanostart majority-owned MagForce Nanotechnologies AG names Dr. Peter Heinrich as new CEO

Abstract:
* Senior executive of international standing
* Proven leadership as company enters a crucial phase
* Dr. Heinrich: "declared objective to generate significant value"

Nanostart majority-owned MagForce Nanotechnologies AG names Dr. Peter Heinrich as new CEO

Germany | Posted on December 10th, 2009

MagForce Nanotechnologies AG (Entry Standard segment of the Frankfurt Stock Exchange, ticker MF6), the Berlin-based medical technology company majority owned by Nanostart AG, has announced the appointment of Dr. Peter Heinrich as its new chief executive officer effective January 1, 2010. Dr. Heinrich, who is a renowned executive within the life sciences business in Germany and a leading figure in the European biotechnology world, has served until now as deputy chairman of the supervisory board of MagForce. Until the middle of this year, he was CEO of MediGene AG, a biotechnology company listed on the Frankfurt Stock Exchange and included in the TecDax index.

Dr. Heinrich will succeed outgoing chief executive Dr. Uwe Maschek, who has resigned at his own request as of the end of the year. Professor Wolfgang M. Heckl is rejoining the supervisory board, taking the place of Dr. Heinrich. Professor Heckl, who is regarded as Germany's leading nanotechnology expert, teaches at the Technical University of Munich (TU München) and is general director of Germany's largest science museum, Munich's renowned Deutsches Museum. He also serves as deputy chairman of the supervisory board of Nanostart AG.

"With the appointment of Peter Heinrich, we've been able to bring on board a highly experienced and internationally recognized business executive," said Marco Beckmann, CEO of Nanostart AG. "We are confident that Dr. Heinrich will do a superb job in leading our portfolio company MagForce through this critical phase. We extend our sincere thanks to Dr. Maschek, the CEO until now, for his many contributions and look forward with great enthusiasm to working together with Dr. Heinrich. His experience and expertise make him the ideal candidate to drive forward with the marketing and further development of Nano-Cancer® therapy, for the benefit of cancer patients as well as the company and its shareholders."

Dr. Heinrich added that "with its Nano-Cancer® therapy, MagForce possesses an extremely innovative and effective therapeutic procedure for treating solid tumors. Following the successful results of clinical trials in patients with glioblastoma, a malignant and particularly aggressive type of brain tumor, an application for EU-wide regulatory approval has been submitted for this first medical indication. The next step is to drive forward vigorously with preparations for the commercialization phase and to rapidly expand the scope of application of our Nano-Cancer® therapy to encompass other medical indications, as well as to position our company in the international market. It is my declared objective to generate significant value for patients as well as for shareholders in the coming years."

Over his entire career as a pharmaceutical executive, Dr. Heinrich has been able to produce a superb track record of successful achievements. He was co-founder of MediGene AG, the exchange-listed biotechnology company, and served as its managing director and CEO from 1995 until the middle of 2009, over this time the company focused on the development of pharmaceuticals in the fields of oncology, immunology and cardiology. There he held board-level responsibility for all areas until the company's stock exchange listing in 2000, after which time he was responsible for the areas of administration, business development, controlling, corporate finance, investor and public relations, organizational development, intellectual property and human resources, as well as for the company's facilities in San Diego (California) and Oxford (UK).

With strategic far-sightedness, scientific rigor and business know-how, he built up MediGene from a venture capital-financed start-up to an established international biopharmaceutical company with pharmaceutical products successfully brought to market and further candidates now in the development pipeline.

During his career at MediGene, Dr. Heinrich played a key role in achieving a number of noteworthy milestones in the company's development, including the regulatory approval of the drugs Eligard®, Veregen® and Oracea®, the acquisition of companies, the licensing in and licensing out of product candidates, strategic partnerships with pharmaceutical corporations, and the company's listing on the Frankfurt Stock Exchange in 2000 as well as follow-on capital market transactions.

Before founding MediGene, Heinrich held various positions over eight years at Wacker Chemie AG in Munich. During this time he was substantially involved in the development of biotechnology products which have since been successfully brought to market.

Dr. Heinrich studied biology and chemistry at the University of Munich, and after receiving his doctoral degree there in biochemistry, he continued with post-doctoral work at Harvard University. He is co-founder and chairman of the executive board of BIO-Deutschland, an independent organization representing the interests of the German biotechnology industry. From 2001 to 2009 he served as a member of European Biopharmaceutical Enterprises (EBE), including as its president from 2003 to 2006. Dr. Heinrich also serves on the board of trustees of Bayern Innovativ GmbH, as a mentor and tutor at the Bavarian Elite Academy, and on the supervisory board of the University of Augsburg's MBA program.

Disclaimer:
This notice constitutes neither an offer to sell nor a solicitation of offers to purchase or subscribe to securities. There will be no public offering of securities of Nanostart AG in conjunction with the existing listing of its shares in the "Entry Standard" segment of the regulated unofficial market (Freiverkehr) on the Frankfurt Stock Exchange. This notice does not constitute a securities prospectus. Neither this notice nor the information contained within is intended for direct or indirect distribution within the United States of America, Canada, Australia or Japan.

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About Nanostart
Nanostart AG is the world’s leading nanotechnology investment company. The Frankfurt-based company provides venture capital financing for nanotechnology companies in various growth phases. It also provides the benefits of its experience and expertise to developers of financial instruments and to investors in the nanotechnology sector.

About MagForce Nanotechnologies

MagForce Nanotechnologies AG is the world’s leading company in the area of nanotechnology-based cancer treatment. Its patented therapy allows the targeted destruction of tumors using magnetic nanoparticles. MagForce’s nanotechnology represents a revolutionary approach to the future successful treatment of solid tumors. For more information, please visit www.magforce.com.

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Contacts:
Nanostart AG
Public Relations
Dr. Hans Joachim Dürr
Goethestrasse 26-28
D-60313 Frankfurt
Germany
phone: +49 (0)69-21 93 96 111
fax: +49 (0)69-21 93 96 122

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