Ascendis Health Rights Offer oversubscribed by 300%

NATIONAL - ONLINE, South Africa - Aug. 8, 2016 - PRLog -- Ascendis Health announced today that its R1.2 billion rights issue which closed last week has been more than three times oversubscribed, and that the company had secured the required funding to conclude its recent R7.3 billion acquisitions of global pharma company Remedica and European sports nutrition company Scitec.

Notwithstanding the conclusion of a successful rights offer to fund the deals, Ascendis secured additional irrevocable undertakings from existing and new strategic shareholders to the total value of R2.3 billion at the time of the release of the circular, and entered into an underwriting agreement with Absa Bank Limited and HSBC Bank plc to fully underwrite the rights offer.

This underwriting of the rights offer was however not required as the 54 million rights offer shares were snapped up by supportive shareholders. Additional support, via the irrevocable undertakings, was received from a mix of local and several international investors, including the International Finance Corporation (IFC), a division of the World Bank.

Ascendis CEO, Dr Karsten Wellner said, "This overwhelming support from the local and international investment community is extremely encouraging, and a continuing vote of confidence for our proposition, our delivery and focussed globalisation strategy."

Remedica is a specialist generics pharmaceutical company with a presence in over 100 countries and a major supplier of pharmaceuticals to non-governmental organizations active in medical relief. Scitec is a leading European sports nutrition company that sells its products in nearly 90 countries globally. The products and distribution networks offered by these companies (including the Spanish pharma company Farmalider which was acquired during 2015) complement each other, making it possible for the combined group to offer a broader range of health products, while at the same time driving the organic growth synergies.

It is expected that the transactions will be concluded by the beginning of September, and will boost Ascendis' current market cap from R7.3 billion to more than R10 billion, supporting the vision of becoming a leading global player in the Health and Care sector.

Dr Wellner concluded, "We are extremely grateful to Absa and HSBC, our equity partners and the management of Remedica and Scitec, not to mention the outstanding deal team from Coast2Coast for their great support in securing these transformative deals. A rights issue which is significantly oversubscribed is surely an indication of the trust the market has in Ascendis, its management and its growth strategies."

ENDS RELEASE

Notes to editors

Ascendis Health (JSE: ASC) is a fast growing health and care company selling a portfolio of market-leading brands for animals, plants and humans. Founded in 2008 and listed on the JSE since 2013, the group's strategy is based on organic, acquisitive and synergistic growth locally and internationally. The group is increasingly focused on internationalisation and Ascendis brands are currently exported to more than 50 countries globally. For more information, visit www.ascendis.co.za.

Remedica Holdings develops, produces and sellsgeneric pharmaceutical products. Based in Limassol, Cyprus, the business is strategically located between the European Union, the Middle East and Africa. Founded 56 years ago, Remedica supplies more than 300 products, including oncology drugs, via 2500 marketing authorisations to 100 countries globally. For more information, visit www.remedica.eu.

Scitec International is a leading sports nutrition company selling products in nearly 90 countries under the Scitec Nutrition brand. Scitec Nutrition ranks among the leading sports nutrition brands in major markets like Germany, France, Spain, Italy, Hungary and Poland, with a strong presence in the Middle East, Russia, Australia and Asia. For more information, visit www.scitecnutrition.com/en.