Advanced Accelerator Applications Enters UK and Irish Nuclear Medicine Markets with the Acquisition of Imaging Equipment Ltd

SAINT-GENIS-POUILLY, France, March 4, 2014 /PRNewswire/ --



• The acquisition gives AAA its first direct sales presence in the UK and Ireland, expands its specialist nuclear medicine capabilities and gives it the rights to IEL's licensed SPECT radiopharmaceutical diagnostic product, IELMAG3
• IEL generated sales of almost £6.77 million for the year ended 31 December 2013, up 58% on 2012
• The UK's nuclear medicine market is one of the largest in Europe, with annual sales of more than €120 million

Advanced Accelerator Applications ("AAA" or "the Company"), a fast growing international specialist in Molecular Nuclear Medicine (MNM), announced today that it has entered into an agreement to acquire 100% of the shares of Imaging Equipment Ltd ("IEL"), a privately-held UK distributor of nuclear medicine products and technologies, in newly issued AAA shares.

As part of the transaction, IEL's founding shareholders and top management will become shareholders in AAA, which demonstrates the commitment to continuity and the shared common views in terms of development and value creation.

The acquisition gives AAA its first direct presence in the UK and Ireland, expanding its existing services and expertise in nuclear medicine and providing it with an established sales and marketing platform. AAA will also gain the rights in the UK and Ireland to IEL's licensed SPECT radiopharmaceutical diagnostic product, IELMAG3, which is used to image the kidneys and urinary tract. At the end of December 2013, IEL generated sales of £6.77 million, up 58% on the previous year.

Stefano Buono, Chief Executive Officer of AAA, commented: "The acquisition of IEL is in line with our strategy to further expand and strengthen our position in Europe. The UK and Ireland are important markets for both our existing and future products. IEL's specialist expertise and strong presence in these markets is a complementary fit with AAA's business and we look forward to working with their management team to drive the integration and growth in 2014."

Founded in 2001, IEL is a specialist distributor of medical technologies in the UK and Ireland. The company has particular expertise in molecular imaging and nuclear medicine diagnostics for pre-clinical and clinical imaging, and radionuclide therapy. Its customers include a number of key international nuclear medicine companies. In the UK, IEL is the exclusive distributor of AAA's myocardial perfusion PET imaging agent, Cardiogen^® and its oncology theragnostic product in development, LuDOTATATE, which has seen real interest in the UK in named patient basis and compassionate use programs, started in April 2013.

Nicholas Stevens, Managing Director of IEL, added: "We are excited to be joining AAA, a prominent and well respected leader in the Molecular Nuclear Medicine market. This partnership will bring considerable benefits to IEL and will significantly strengthen our position in Europe. This all-share agreement demonstrates our confidence in AAA's long term strategy and we are delighted to have the opportunity to be a part of that."  

About Advanced Accelerator Applications

Advanced Accelerator Applications (AAA) is a European pharmaceutical company founded in 2002 to develop innovative diagnostic and therapeutic products. AAA's main focus is in the field of Molecular Imaging and targeted, individualized therapy for the management of patients with serious conditions (Personalized Medicine). AAA currently has 17 production and R&D facilities able to manufacture both diagnostics and therapeutic MNM products, and has over 290 employees in 11 countries (France, Italy, UK, Germany, Switzerland, Spain, Poland, Portugal, Israel, U.S. and Canada). In 2013 AAA is expecting to reach revenues of €56.6 million (+27% vs. 2012) and EBITDA of €14 million (+49% vs. 2012). For more information please visit: http://www.adacap.com

About Imaging Equipment Ltd

Imaging Equipment Ltd (IEL) is a UK and Irish specialist distributor of medical technologies, formed in 2001 and purchased by the present owners in 2003. IEL's strengths and successes have been in Nuclear Medicine Pharmaceutical supplies and Radiotherapy Quality Assurance equipment. IEL has 18 employees and holds two licences from the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA), a Wholesalers Licence (WL 35903) and a Manufactures Specials Licence (MS 35903). IEL generated sales of almost £6.77 million for the year ended 31 December 2013, up 58% on 2012. For more information please visit:

http://www.imagingequipment.co.uk

SOURCE Advanced Accelerator Applications