Sucampo Completes Acquisition of R-Tech Ueno


Immediately Accretive to Revenue, Earnings and Operating Cash Flows

Delivers Greater Manufacturing and Supply Chain Control

Expands Sucampo's Product Pipeline

ROCKVILLE, Md., Dec. 7, 2015 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Sucampo Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (Sucampo) (NASDAQ:SCMP), a global biopharmaceutical company, today announced the completion of its acquisition of R-Tech Ueno (TSE:4573:JP) and all remaining outstanding shares. Sucampo acquired R-Tech Ueno for 32.8 billion Japanese Yen (JPY), or approximately $275 million.

"We believe that, through this immediately accretive transaction, we've created value for our shareholders by positioning ourselves for revenue growth in the near-term and laying the groundwork for continued financial performance in the future," said Peter Greenleaf, Chief Executive Officer of Sucampo. "We have now secured a larger portion of the global economics of AMITIZA® and greater control over the manufacturing and supply chain for the product. In addition, we have acquired several new product candidates across multiple disease areas, including two vascular adhesion protein inhibitors, which could be of significant value to Sucampo as either a part of our internal pipeline or as candidates for partnering."

Moelis & Company LLC served as Sucampo's exclusive financial advisor; Cooley LLP served as U.S. legal advisor; Mori, Hamada & Matsumoto served as Japanese legal advisor; and PricewaterhouseCoopers served as tax and diligence advisor to Sucampo. Nomura Securities International, Inc. acted as tender offer agent.

About lubiprostone (AMITIZA®)

AMITIZA (lubiprostone) is a chloride channel activator that acts locally in the small intestine. By increasing intestinal fluid secretion, lubiprostone increases motility in the intestine, thereby facilitating the passage of stool and alleviating symptoms associated with CIC. Lubiprostone, via activation of apical CIC-2 channels in intestinal epithelial cells, bypasses the antisecretory action of opiates that results from suppression of secretomotor neuron excitability. Activation of CIC-2 by lubiprostone has also been shown to stimulate recovery of mucosal barrier function and reduce intestinal permeability via the restoration of tight junction protein complexes in ex vivo studies of ischemic porcine intestine.

AMITIZA (24 mcg twice daily) is indicated in the U.S. for the treatment of adults with CIC and opioid-induced constipation (OIC) with chronic, non-cancer pain. AMITIZA (8 mcg twice daily) is also approved in the U.S. for irritable bowel syndrome with constipation (IBS-C) in women 18 years of age and older. In Japan, AMITIZA (24 mcg twice daily) is indicated for the treatment of chronic constipation (excluding constipation caused by organic diseases). In Canada, AMITIZA (24 mcg twice daily) is indicated for the treatment of CIC in adults. In the U.K., AMITIZA (24 mcg twice daily) is indicated for the treatment of CIC and associated symptoms in adults, when response to diet and other non-pharmacological measures (e.g. educational measures, physical activity) are inappropriate. In Switzerland, AMITIZA (24 mcg twice daily) is indicated for the treatment of CIC in adults and for the treatment of OIC and associated signs and symptoms such as stool consistency, straining, constipation severity, abdominal discomfort, and abdominal bloating in adults with chronic, non-cancer pain. The efficacy of AMITIZA for the treatment of OIC in patients taking opioids of the diphenylheptane class, such as methadone, has not been established.

About Sucampo Pharmaceuticals, Inc.

Sucampo Pharmaceuticals, Inc. is focused on the development and commercialization of medicines that meet major unmet medical needs of patients worldwide. Sucampo has one marketed product – AMITIZA – and a pipeline of product candidates in clinical development. A global company, Sucampo is headquartered in Rockville, Maryland, and has operations in Japan, Switzerland and the U.K. For more information, please visit www.sucampo.com.

The Sucampo logo and the tagline, The Science of Innovation, are registered trademarks of Sucampo AG. AMITIZA is a registered trademark of Sucampo AG.

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Sucampo Forward-Looking Statement

This press release contains "forward-looking statements" as that term is defined in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These statements are based on management's current expectations and involve risks and uncertainties, which may cause results to differ materially from those set forth in the statements. The forward-looking statements may include statements regarding financial results for the full years ending December 31, 2015 and 2016, as well as statements about potential future revenue growth, statements regarding the acquisition of R-Tech Ueno and the integration of its business and operations with that of Sucampo, and statements regarding product development, and other statements that are not historical facts. The following factors, among others, could cause actual results to differ from those set forth in the forward-looking statements: the impact of pharmaceutical industry regulation and health care legislation; the ability of Sucampo to continue to develop the market for AMITIZA; the ability of Sucampo to develop, commercialize or license existing pipeline products or compounds or license or acquire non-prostone products or drug candidates; Sucampo's ability to accurately predict future market conditions; dependence on the effectiveness of Sucampo's patents and other protections for innovative products; the risk of new and changing regulation and health policies in the U.S. and internationally; the effects of competitive products on Sucampo's products; risks relating to Sucampo's financing for the R-Tech Ueno acquisition, including the restrictive covenants undertaken by Sucampo as part of the financing; risks related to the squeeze-out of R-Tech Ueno minority stockholders under Japanese law; Sucampo's ability to successfully integrate R-Tech Ueno's operations following the close of the acquisition; and the exposure to litigation and/or regulatory actions.

No forward-looking statement can be guaranteed and actual results may differ materially from those projected. Sucampo undertakes no obligation to publicly update any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future events, or otherwise. Forward-looking statements in this press release should be evaluated together with the many uncertainties that affect Sucampo's business, particularly those mentioned in the risk factors and cautionary statements in Sucampo's most recent Form 10-K as filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on March 9, 2015 as well as its filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission on Forms 8-K and 10-Q since the filing of the Form 10-K, all of which Sucampo incorporates by reference.



            

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