29 June 2009

Pronota announces EUR 4.9 million first close of series B financing

Ghent, Belgium; 29th June 2009 - Pronota NV today announced that it has completed the first close of a Series B financing, raising EUR 4.9 million. The financing has been subscribed by a strong syndicate of life sciences investors that includes the existing investors LSP, Gimv, Biotech Fund Flanders, KBC Private Equity, Johnson & Johnson Development Corporation, Baekeland Fund and new financial investor VIB. Ruth Devenyns will join the board as a representative for KBC Private Equity.

The proceeds will be used for the development of Pronota's own diagnostic products derived from protein biomarkers it discovers using its proprietary MASStermind^® platform. Pronota is well on track with building its diagnostic product pipeline. Its lead program in acute heart failure, a major diagnostic market, has generated impressive data and the lead candidate is currently being tested in confirmatory clinical trials with data expected in the next few months.

"I am very pleased that existing shareholders continue to believe strongly in Pronota's value creating potential", said Nick McCooke, CEO. John Berriman, Pronota's Chairman, added: "The data that have been generated in the lead acute heart failure program and the results obtained so far in the other internal programs provide extensive validation of Pronota's technology. Pronota now addresses a significant commercial opportunity through applying its uniquely powerful proprietary protein biomarker discovery technology both to third party projects and to its own product developments."

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Notes to editors:

About Pronota

Pronota was founded in late 2004 to develop rationally discovered protein biomarker diagnostics. In this short time, it has successfully implemented its technology, and generated impressive data in its internal programs. Further information is available at http://www.pronota.com.

About LSP

LSP (Life Sciences Partners) is a leading independent European investment firm, providing financing to private and public life-science companies. Since the late 1980s, LSP's management has invested in a large number of highly innovative enterprises, many of which have grown to become leaders of the global life-science industry. For example, LSP was a founding investor in Crucell, DNage, Qiagen, Rhein Biotech and Pharming. With over EUR 500 million under management and offices in Amsterdam, Munich and Boston, LSP is one of Europe's largest and most experienced specialist life-science investors. Further information is available at http://www.lspvc.com

About GIMV

Gimv is a European investment company with nearly 30 years of experience in private equity and venture capital. The company is listed on NYSE Euronext Brussels and currently manages around EUR 1.7 billion of assets (including third party funds). Gimv undertakes buyouts and provides growth capital to established companies. Local teams in Belgium, France, The Netherlands and Germany concentrate on these activities. Gimv-XL provides growth financing to larger growth companies in Flanders. Gimv makes venture capital investments in high tech sectors through its specialist teams in Life Sciences, Technology and Cleantech. Its DG Infra+ fund also focuses on infrastructure projects in the Benelux. For growth capital investments in Russia, Gimv has a joint venture with KBC Private Equity. For more information about Gimv, please visit our website: http://www.gimv.com

About KBC Private Equity and KBC Private Equity Fund Biotech ('Biotech')

KBC Private Equity, the investment company of KBC Group, provides development capital and finances buy-outs to medium-sized companies in Belgium and in Central and Eastern Europe, KBC's home markets, for amounts between €2 and €50 million. Boasting an experienced team of 23 people, it has more than 60 active investments in its portfolio with a market value close to €400 million. KBC Private Equity aims to become one of the leading private equity providers in KBC Group's home markets. Biotech is a closed-end Belgian investment company in liquidation. Incorporated in the first quarter of 2001, Biotech invests in biopharmaceutical companies around the world. During the liquidation process, the company will continue to be listed on Euronext Brussels. Further information is available at http://www.kbcpe.be and www.kbcam.be/BIOTECH.

About Baekeland Fonds II

In 2005 the partners of the Ghent University Association, together with Fortis Private Equity Belgium, KBC Private Equity, Ethias, Volksvermogen and the ARKimedes Fund, established Baekeland Fund II. This fund was created with capital of 11.1 million EUR. Baekeland Fund II wants to invest in different, mainly high tech companies that have grown out of research labs at Ghent University, Hogeschool Gent, Arteveldehogeschool or Hogeschool West-Vlaanderen. As a seed and early stage investment company, Baekeland Fund II invests in the seed phase as well in the following rounds. Baekeland Fund II is operationally managed by UGent TechTransfer, assisted by investment managers from Ghent University, KBC Private Equity and Fortis Private Equity Belgium. For more info, see http://www.baekelandfonds.be

About Johnson & Johnson Development Corporation

Johnson & Johnson Development Corporation (JJDC) is the venture capital subsidiary of Johnson & Johnson. JJDC makes private equity investments in venture funded health care companies. Portfolio companies include those in the fields of pharmaceuticals, biotechnology, medical devices, diagnostics and consumer products. For more info, see http://www.jjdevcorp.com.

About VIB

VIB is a research institution dedicated to conduct frontline research in fields such as angiogenesis, immunology, oncology, neurobiology, infectious diseases, microbiology, plant sciences, protein chemistry, bioinformatics and system biology. VIB has worldwide collaborations with academia and industry and (co-)founded start-ups such as Devgen, CropDesign, Ablynx, Pronota, Actogenix and Solucel. VIB provides 12.000 m2 bio-incubator space to local and international biotech companies. VIB is also actively involved in science communication. Futher information is available at http://www.vib.be