AEgera Therapeutics Completes Private Placement

AEgera Therapeutics Inc. successfully completed an over-subscribed $17 million private placement round of financing on February 20, 2002. AEgera is a privately held biotechnology company focusing on cancer research as well as the treatment of central and peripheral nerve diseases, and the derivation of pluripotent stem cells from human adult skin.

The funding was co-led by new investors GeneChem Therapeutics Venture Fund LP and the Fonds de solidarité des travailleurs du Québec (FTQ). Additional new investors included the Business Development Bank of Canada, T2C2/Bio 2000 LP, Investissement Desjardins and Capital régional et coopératif Desjardins. All previous investors, CDP Sofinov, Société Financière D’innovation Inc., Société Innovatech du Grand Montréal, Canadian Medical Discoveries Fund Inc., Neuroscience Partners LP, Working Ventures Canadian Fund Inc. and MedTech Partners Inc., also participated in the round. Simultaneously, with the closing of the first tranche of the financing round on December 13, 2001, Canadian Medical Discovery Fund exchanged its shares of AEgera Therapeutics for shares of its wholly owned, Ottawa-based subsidiary, AEgera Oncology Inc., and took back special voting shares of AEgera Therapeutics.

Sharon Druker of Gowling Lafleur Henderson LLP in Montreal acted for AEgera Therapeutics and AEgera Oncology. Alida Gualtieri and Véronique Wattiez-Larose of McCarthy Tétrault LLP in Montreal represented the new investors, with the exception of Investissement Desjardins and Capital régional et coopératif Desjardins, both of whom were represented by Michel Cloutier of Rouleau, Doss, d’Amours in Montreal. Paul Marcotte of Fasken Martineau DuMoulin LLP in Montreal acted for the existing investors. Pamela Cross and Tim McCunn of Borden Ladner Gervais LLP in Ottawa provided advice to Canadian Medical Discoveries Fund in connection with the share exchange.