Sartorius Stedim Biotech and ProMetic Life Sciences Inc. enter the second successful technology transfer deal resulting from the companies’ 2006 collaboration. Through the collaboration, Sartorius Stedim Biotech is the supplier and technology provider of filtration equipment and consumables to plasma fractionators that have in-licensed ProMetic’s proprietary manufacturing process.
   
ProMetic recently signed a strategic alliance and license agreement with the Wuhan Institute of Biological Products (WIBP). Under the terms of this agreement, WIBP gains exclusive access to ProMetic’s yield improving plasma protein process for the Chinese market. ProMetic also has agreements with the Taiwanese biotechnology company Blue-Blood Biotech Corp. for the development and commercialization of human plasma-derived specialty immunoglobulin preparations for the treatment of several infectious diseases including Cytomegalovirus and Enterovirus. Under this agreement, ProMetic retains the rights to the hyperimmune products for the North American market.
   
“These agreements and our relationship with Sartorius Stedim Biotech contribute to our short term revenue growth and to making our Protein Technologies business EBITDA positive in 2008 and generating an EBITDA of $15 to $20 Million in 2009,” stated Mr. Pierre Laurin, president and chief executive officer of ProMetic. “Collectively, these agreements have firmly established ProMetic’s technology in Asia and provide an opportunity to generate an estimated $60 Million in annual product sales and royalties for ProMetic, with the first plasma-derived products expected to be commercialized in 2011 in Asia and in North America.”
   
Dr. Uwe Gottschalk, vice president of purification technologies at Sartorius Stedim Biotech, said, “This association allows us to combine ProMetic’s proprietary technology and Sartorius’ integrated technology portfolio to bypass current bioseparation limitations. In doing so, we generate increased yields for plasma-derived proteins and therefore enhance the profitability of the existing processes at our customers.”