MONTREAL, CANADA--(Marketwired - June 9, 2016) - Searchlight Pharma Inc. ("Searchlight Pharma"), a Canadian specialty pharmaceutical company committed to improving life-long human health and wellness, is pleased to announce that it has acquired Besins Healthcare Canada Inc. ("Besins"). Besins is the wholly-owned Canadian affiliate of Besins Healthcare S.A., a privately-held, Belgian-headquartered, international pharmaceutical company. The acquisition of Besins, which follows on the heels of an earlier acquisition of the Zestica Moisture™ and Zestica Fertility^® brands in Canada by Searchlight Pharma, accelerates the growth of the Searchlight Pharma business and complements its existing portfolio of women's health products, which includes Estragyn™ Vaginal Cream, Oesclim^® TDS, Cysta-Q^® and AmnioSense^® blue. Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.

Focused exclusively on the women's health therapeutic area, the Besins product portfolio includes three Health Canada approved products currently being sold across Canada: (1) Femarelle^®, a natural, non-hormonal, purified soy extract indicated for the relief of menopausal symptoms and to support bone health; (2) the Mona Lisa^® copper intrauterine devices ("IUDs"), a line of 3, 5 and 10 year, non-hormonal, reversible contraception devices; and (3) Relactagel^®, a natural, lactic acid gel indicated for the relief and prevention of bacterial vaginosis. Searchlight Pharma expects the Besins products to significantly enhance the company's activities and presence in the women's health area, and to accelerate its commercial evolution and critical mass across both prescription and non-prescription therapeutics as well as devices.

"The acquisition of Besins Healthcare Canada Inc. demonstrates our commitment to continue to grow our product portfolio in the area of women's health," said Mark Nawacki, President and Chief Executive Officer of Searchlight Pharma. "Femarelle^®, the Mona Lisa^® IUD line, and Relactagel^®, are all an excellent fit with our existing activities, capabilities and products, and help diversify our commercial presence in the market. The transaction also highlights our ability to identify attractive business opportunities and capitalize on them quickly, thereby enhancing the scale and value of our business to all stakeholders. We are excited to acquire these branded products and to continue the great work of Besins in making important treatment options available to Canadian women."

"Searchlight Pharma is an excellent choice for the continued commercialization of the Besins business in Canada," stated Raymond Hébert, General Manager of Besins Healthcare Canada Inc. "With their national sales force, marketing expertise, and successful track record, they bring together all of the necessary ingredients to succeed. On behalf of the entire Besins organization, I thank the Searchlight Pharma team for their constructive approach to this transaction and their speed in getting it done."

About Searchlight Pharma Inc.

Searchlight Pharma Inc., headquartered in Montreal, aspires to become a leading Canadian-based specialty healthcare company through best-in class execution of the search, acquisition, commercialization, and focused development of innovative and unique specialty healthcare products that improve life-long human health and wellness. With a core focus on women's health, urology, sports medicine, and pediatrics, our team is committed to improving people's lives by bringing the right products to market. Follow us, learn more about what we do, and get to know our product portfolio at www.searchlightpharma.com.

Oesclim® is a registered trademark and under license from Mylan Labs. Cysta-Q® is a registered trademark and under license from Farr Labs, Inc. AmnioSense® is a registered trademark of Paladin Labs Inc. and under license from Common Sense Ltd. Femarelle® is a registered trademark and under license with Se-cure Pharmaceuticals Ltd. Mona Lisa® is a registered trademark and under license from Mona Lisa N.V. Relactagel® is a registered trademark and under license from Kora Healthcare. Zestica Fertility® is a registered trademark and under license from Bescot Healthcare Canada Inc.