Facts about Pronova BioPharma

Pronova BioPharma is a global leader in the research, development and manufacture of marine-originated omega-3 derived pharmaceutical products.

Pronova BioPharma ASA has two wholly owned subsidiaries: Pronova BioPharma Norge AS and Pronova BioPharma Danmark AS. The headquarter is located at Lysaker, Norway.

A listed company: Pronova BioPharma is listed on Oslo Børs, ticker PRON

Number of employees: About 185 full time equivalents

Revenues 2007: NOK 1,014.4 million in 2007 (+51.5 per cent growth).
EBITDA 2007: NOK 503.3 million. EBITDA margin of 49.6 per cent

Long history: Core activities are founded upon marine-oil extracting and manufacturing traditions dating back to the 1900s, including a company called Johan C. Martens & Company in Bergen, Norway, a trader in fish and cod liver oil since 1838, and a company formed by Jahres Fabrikker in Sandefjord, Norway, a fish oil processing factory established in 1935

Product: Omacor (brand name in Europe and Asia) / Lovaza (brand name in the US) - the first and only EU-and FDA-approved omega-3 derived prescription drug. The product is approved in the United States and in Europe for the treatment of elevated levels of triglycerides in humans, a condition known as hypertriglyceridemia, or HTG. HTG is a form of dyslipidemia, a disorder of lipid metabolism. It is also approved in Europe for secondary prevention of post-myocardial infarction, or Post-MI, the period following the initial survival of a heart attack.

Production: Pronova BioPharma’s production plant is located in Sandefjord, Norway. Production capacity in 2007 is 1,200 tonnes. A new manufacturing plant with a planned capacity of 1,200 tonnes is under construction in Kalundborg, Denmark, to meet increasing demand.

The active pharmaceutical ingredient (API) is manufactured through a complex process of purification (during which environmental pollutants are removed), bleaching and concentration (molecular distillation and urea complexation) of high grade fish oil in compliance with Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP). The manufacturing processes include patented and proprietary steps producing a patented product containing a total concentration of 90 per cent omega-3 ethyl esters.

Distribution: Omacor and Lovaza is distributed in more than 40 countries around the world including the United States, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Spain and the United Kingdom which are the seven major global pharmaceutical markets.

Partners: The product is distributed by partners. Among these are GlaxoSmithKline (Reliant Pharmaceuticals), Takeda Pharmaceuticals, Solvay Pharmaceuticals, Prospa, Grupo Ferrer International, Pierre Fabre Santé and Kuhnil Pharmaceutical.

Research & development: Pronova BioPharma believes that a new generation of naturally derived pharmaceuticals will emerge from research and development within the marine area. The company actively participates in programs that cover bioprospecting projects that screen marine compounds through professional drug discovery programs. Identified leads are tested compounds through established network including research organisations and universities.