Company highlights
Established biopharmaceutical company with a global presence
Marinomed is a Vienna-based biopharmaceutical company established in 2006. Using its two in-house developed platforms, the technology platform Marinosolv® and the OTC platform Carragelose®, Marinomed has built a significant pipeline with multiple, derisked and near-to-market products.
Marinomed also already has strong experience in bringing products to the market with currently six different Carragelose® products successfully marketed to treat viral infections of the respiratory tract.
Marinomed has achieved a lean, “asset light” business model in tandem with strong growth by outsourcing the cost intensive components of the value chain. The company’s products are manufactured and sold via partners and licenses in over 30 countries. This approach enables the company to maintain the focus on its main strength: the generation of IP and development of commercial products.
Marinosolv®: an innovative drug delivery platform focused on allergy and eye diseases
- In 2015, Marinomed succeeded in creating a technology platform that improves the stable solubility in aqueous formulations of hardly soluble compounds (from 10 to over 1,000 times). The Marinosolv® platform thus can achieve products with better bioavailability, especially for the treatment of sensitive tissues such as eyes and nose. This allows a dose reduction, a faster onset of action and less active pharmaceutical ingredient ("API") in the rest of the body, which can reduce possible side effects. In addition, Marinosolv® allows the production of preservative free products with lower production costs. Products currently developed through the Marinosolv® platform are highly derisked as these are well-known, safe and effective APIs.
- The platform’s lead product is Budesolv, a solubilized version of corticosteroid budesonide, currently in a pivotal phase III clinical trial for the treatment of allergic rhinitis. Phase III results are expected to be available at the end of Q2 2019 and market launch of Budesolv could already take place in 2021, proving the potential of the Marinosolv® platform and giving Marinomed access to a multi-billion dollar market with a strong growth outlook.
- The second Marinosolv® derived product in the pipeline is Tacrosolv, a solubilized version of immunosuppressant Tacrolimus, which will be entering phase II clinical trials in 2019 for the treatment of allergic conjunctivitis and will subsequently be investigated in Phase III pivotal trials for allergic conjunctivitis and dry eye syndrome, two well-known blockbuster indications.
- The Marinosolv® platform has large potential for many other indications through proprietary programs and/or Pharma licensing deals, as 40% of approved drugs and nearly 90% of molecules currently in the discovery pipeline are poorly water-soluble (1).
Carragelose®: a powerful OTC platform focused on respiratory diseases
- Carragelose® is based on a natural red algae compound that forms a protective layer in the nose and is clinically proven in four clinical trials to be active against more than 200 different respiratory viral strains.
- The Carragelose® platform has already generated six different products to treat viral infections of the respiratory tract, which are sold globally via established partners and which have generated approx. €28m-€43m in retail sales in >30 countries in 2017. The use of the nasal and throat sprays as well as the lozenges based on Carragelose® in case of viral infection of the respiratory tract may reduce viral load by up to 99%.
- Marinomed is thus well positioned in a fast-growing segment of the OTC market (market for non-prescription drugs). The cough, cold and allergy (CCA) market, the target market for the Carragelose® portfolio, is currently worth USD 28bn and is expected to grow by 5% annually (CAGR) until 2027 to USD 36bn (2). Carragelose® has significant growth potential through the development of new products (such as a decongestant nasal spray which combines Carragelose® with Xylometazoline), upcoming near term (new) products launches in major markets and a higher level of market penetration in existing markets.
Experienced leadership team backed by high quality boards
- Marinomed is led by an experienced management team with strong expertise in virology and infectious diseases, allergies, immunology and molecular biology. The team, headed by CEO Andreas Grassauer, CFO Pascal Schmidt and CSO Eva Prieschl-Grassauer has an extensive background in product development in pharmaceutical companies.
- The management team is supported by an experienced Supervisory Board and an internationally renowned Scientific Advisory Board, including Prof. Ron Eccles, Prof. Bala Ambati, Prof. Talin Barisani, Prof. Julian Crane and Prof. Marco Idzko.
- Marinomed has raised over €30m in total equity and non-dilutive funding to date.
Dr Andreas Grassauer, Chief Executive Officer of Marinomed, commented: “Marinomed´s research is focused on the development of pioneering platforms for new and superior therapies to treat respiratory and ophthalmic disorders. With our innovative Marinosolv® technology platform we are planning to enter the multi-billion dollar markets for treatments of allergies and eye diseases. The products of our Carragelose® platform have proven their worth worldwide as first causative treatment against common cold and flu-like illnesses. We will expand this platform further. With the intended listing, we will pursue our success story: An IPO could provide us with the strategic and financial flexibility that we need to successfully commercialize products to treat diseases with unmet medical needs based on our platforms and to further strengthen our position in extremely attractive growth markets.”
Details of the planned Offering
The Offering is subject to market conditions and the approval of the prospectus by the Austrian Financial Market Authority (FMA). The price range for the new shares as well as other details of the Offering will be published in the prospectus before commencement of the offer period of the Offering. The Offering is expected to consist of (i) a public offering to retail and institutional investors in Austria, (ii) a private placement outside Austria to selected institutional investors, including a private placement within the United States to qualified institutional buyers in reliance on Rule 144A under the US Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and (iii) a private placement outside of the United States to certain other eligible institutional investors in reliance on Regulation S under the US Securities Act of 1933, as amended. The Offering will consist exclusively of new bearer shares of Marinomed.
The planned listing on the Vienna Stock Exchange is intended to allow Marinomed to continue its success story using the strategic and financial flexibility available to a listed stock company. The proceeds of an IPO are envisaged to be used for funding the pivotal phase III study of Budesolv, phase II and phase III studies of Tacrosolv as well as the extension of the Marinosolv® technology for additional indications (e.g. lung). Next to that, the proceeds will also be used for broadening the Carragelose® product portfolio (in particular by launch of the decongestant product line), increasing Carragelose® brand awareness, co-fund additional clinical studies for Carragelose® (e.g. for marketing authorization in the US) as well as general corporate purposes such as establishing a cost-effective supply chain for low price markets and repayment of debt.
Erste Group and Kempen are acting as Joint Global Coordinators and Joint Bookrunners. goetzpartners securities functions as Co-Lead Manager.
About Marinomed Biotech AG
Marinomed Biotech AG is a Vienna based biopharmaceutical company focusing on the development of innovative products derived from patent protected technology platforms to treat respiratory and ophthalmic conditions. The Carragelose® platform comprises innovative patent protected products targeting viral infections of the respiratory tract. Carragelose® is used in nasal sprays, throat sprays and lozenges, which are sold in more than 30 countries around the world in collaboration with international partners. The Marinosolv® technology platform increases the efficacy of hardly soluble compounds for the treatment of sensitive tissues such as the eyes and nose. Further information is available at www.marinomed.com.
Sources
- Acta Pharmaceutica Sinica B, September 2015 issue
- Nicholas Hall OTC Yearbook 2018