Hadasit Bio-Holdings Ltd. Announced That Consensus Business Group, One of England’s Leading Private Investment Groups, Has Acquired Hadasit Stock for $2 M, By Way of a Private Placement

Hadasit Bio-Holdings, Ltd. (HBL) a subsidiary of Hadasit, the technology-transfer company of the Hadassah Medical Center (TASE:HDST), has announced that CBG (Consensus Business Group), a British investment group active in real estate, hi-tech and technology transfer, has acquired approximately 4% of its equity (fully dilluted) in a private off-market placement.

CBG has been granted a one-year option to invest another $2 million in HBL, at the same share price. A representative of CBG, will join the HBL board of directors. If CBG exercises its option, its holdings could reach 8% of the company’s share equity (fully dilluted).

According to Ophir Shahaf, CEO of HBL: “This is a major vote of confidence by a leading foreign investment group in Israeli biotechnology, and especially in Hadasit Bio-Holdings. CBG is one of the prominent investment groups dealing with the commercialization of scientific and medical technologies (technology transfer), especially in the biotechnology field. In addition to its strong financial capacity, the investor can provide us with broad strategic support and has an excellent understanding of the nature of the companies active in our sector.”

“CBG identified our current product line and the rich potential of Hadasit Bio-Holdings, including products that have entered clinical trials. Its understanding and abilities will enable it to make a major contribution when our portfolio companies commercialize their products and technologies, including opening doors to potential partners.”

“The price that CBG paid for its stake in Hadasit Bio-Holdings and its interest in increasing this stake in the future represent strong belief in the company’s value, management abilities and vision, and in its great potential. CBG will appoint Doron Debbie as a member of the board of directors. His wealth of experience with multinational corporations in the field of life sciences will make a major contribution to the development of our companies, and we believe that this transaction will assist in building value for our shareholders.”

CBG is one of the leading investment firms in Britain. It employs a unique model for its investments in biotechnology and cleantech and helps companies commercialize their technologies by means of its diverse global contacts and strong financial backing.

With Hadasit Bio-Holdings, CBG is following the same investment model that it has applied successfully to similar companies all over the world. For example, it has a 5.2% stake in the technology transfer arm of Imperial College, one of the oldest and highest-regarded institutions in England, and also owns a 7.7% stake acquired within MSBI, which is a fund to promote and fund spinouts from the following universities: Columbia University of New York, McGill, Montreal and Sherbrooke (Canada).

About Hadasit Bio-Holdings:

Hadasit Bio-Holdings Ltd. (TASE:HDST) was established by Hadasit (the technology transfer company of the Hadassah Medical Organization) in 2005 to capitalize on the knowledge and experience accumulated in its research laboratories. Hadasit Bio-Holdings currently owns nine biotechnology startups that have already demonstrated the feasibility and effectiveness of their products in animal models and are in preparation for clinical trials in human beings. The HBL companies have developed drugs with blockbuster market potential (annual markets exceeding one billion dollars) that are intended for the treatment of cancer, inflammatory diseases, and tissue regeneration using stem cells — areas in which Hadassah University Hospital has major expertise and an international reputation as a scientific, technological, and clinical leader.

Hadasit has already recorded a number of prominent successes, granting licenses for the development and marketing of drugs and treatment methods based on embryonic stem-cell technology to ESI in Singapore, the NDV virus for treatment of malignant tumors through THERAVIR, and a drug to increase stem cells produced from umbilical cord blood by GamidaCell.

Through physicians of the Hadassah Medical Center, Hadasit has also contributed to the development of various drugs and therapeutic methods, including for XTL, J&J (Doxil), and most recently Nasvax, which is developing a flu vaccine. For additional information, please visit the Hadasit Bio-Holdings website:

http://www.hbl.co.il