Protagen closes new Round of Financing for the Development of molecular Diagnostics for Prostate Cancer and Multiple Sclerosis

Dortmund, Germany and New Jersey, USA, August 3, 2009: Protagen AG, an international leading provider of GMP compliant protein analytical services, protein bioinformatics, and protein arrays announces the closing of a new € 3.7 million financing round. The capital will be used for the targeted expansion of the company’s UNIarray® technology and patent position and the clinical validation of proprietary diagnostic marker proteins. Protagen will concentrate its efforts on the development of serum based molecular diagnostics for the early detection of Multiple Sclerosis and the differential diagnosis of Prostate Cancers.

The capital raised in this round has come from the existing institutional investors, MIG AG, Munich, S-Capital Dortmund GmbH & Co. KG, and Kreditanstalt für Wiederaufbau (KfW), Bonn.

Background: UNIarray® is a unique technology platform for the development of novel diagnostics based on indication specific autoantibody patterns in patient sera. These indication specific autoantibody patterns were already proven to be present in several autoimmune diseases, but also in cancer, neurodegenerative disorders, and even in apparently healthy individuals. Therefore, the systematic and indication specific determination of autoantibody patterns will serve as a unique basis to address hitherto unmet diagnostic needs. In addition, UNIarray® serves as platform for the development of product specific companion diagnostics and patient stratification for clinical studies. In-house research at Protagen is presently focused on novel diagnostics for Prostate Cancer, Multiple Sclerosis, Rheumatoid Arthritis, Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis, Morbus Parkinson, and Alzheimer´s.

About Protagen AG

Protagen AG (www.protagen.com) is a leading provider of products, services and software solutions for protein research with sites in Dortmund, Germany, and Chester, New Jersey, USA. Technology innovations of Protagen are UNIclone®, a patented platform for development and use of protein expression libraries, and UNIchip®, a versatile and highly efficient family of products for the development of antibodies, as well as UNIarray®, unique technology base for the development of new diagnostics.