November 22, 2006
SymBio Pharmaceuticals selects lead managing underwriter for IPO, andBendamustine enters Phase 1 for treatment of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma.
At a board meeting on October 31, SymBio Pharmaceuticals asked Nomura Securities
Co., Ltd., to serve as lead managing underwriter when it goes public in 2008. On
November 22, Nomura Securities officially agreed to serve as lead managing
underwriter. SymBio is determined to accelerate its transformation into a publiccompany by augmenting its pipeline, enhancing its development capabilities,
establishing internal control systems, and continually refining internal corporate
structure.
In December 2005, SymBio signed a license agreement with Astellas Pharma GmbH(Munich, Germany), a German subsidiary of Astellas Pharma Inc. (Tokyo, Japan), withthe aim of bringing the antineoplastic agent, Bendamustine hydrochloride (Trial code inJapan, SyB L-0501), to clinic in Japan. A phase I clinical trial was initiated in August,and administration of Bendamustine to patients was initiated on November 1 of lastyear.
In Germany, Bendamustine has been used for a number of years under the trade nameRibomustin in treating indolent non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, multiple myeloma, andchronic lymphocytic leukemia. In North America, the bio-venture company Cephalon
Inc. is currently developing Bendamustine for the treatment of Rituximab-refractory, orrelapsed low-grade B-cell non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, under license from Astellas
Pharma GmbH: a Phase III clinical trial is now underway. In the United States, thecompany is also investigating the improvement in efficacy of Bendamustine incombination with Rituximab, which is a first-line drug for indolent non-Hodgkin’slymphoma. Results of a Phase II trial, including a significantly higher response rate,
were presented at the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) conference in June,2006.
Since its establishment on March 25, 2005, SymBio Pharmaceuticals has been
negotiating with more than 90 bio-venture and pharmaceutical companies for possible
in-licensing opportunities, and signed confidential disclosure agreements for 76
innovative products. Six of these products are now under active negotiation, and asecond product is expected to be in-licensed for development before long. Focusing on
neoplastic, hematologic, and autoimmune diseases, SymBio Pharmaceuticals credo is“Delivering hope to patients in need.” The needs of patients are always placed first, as
SymBio specializes in developing therapeutics for diseases affecting small numbers ofpatients, thereby addressing existing unmet medical needs.

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About SymBio Pharmaceuticals Limited:
SymBio Pharmaceuticals’ focus is on oncology/hematology and autoimmune disease therapies.
Established in March 2005 by Fuminori Yoshida, who previously served as both Corporate Vice
President of Amgen Inc. and President of Amgen Japan, SymBio Pharmaceuticals’ underlying corporate
philosophy is “Delivering hope to patients in need,” and the company aims to address unmet medical
needs of patients in Japan by cultivating a mutually beneficial or symbiotic relationship among
physicians, scientists, regulatory agencies, and investors. SymBio Pharmaceuticals core philosophy isthat profitability and socially responsibility as a pharmaceutical enterprise can go hand in hand, and neednot be mutually exclusive.
For further information, please contact:
For U.S. Media:

Japanese Media:

Mr. Lowell Sears

Mr. Fuminori Yoshida

Board Member, SymBio Pharmaceuticals, KK

Representative Director,

C/o Sears Capital Management, Inc.

President and Chief Executive Officer

300 Third Street, Suite 6

SymBio Pharmaceuticals, KK

Los Altos, California 94022-3628

San-ei Building 8th Fl.

Tel: (650) 947-9167

5-23-7 Shimbashi, Minato-ku
Tokyo 105-004, JAPAN
Tel: (813) 5472-1125