LUND, Sweden, April 2 /PRNewswire/ -- DermaGen AB today announced a
cash injection from Midroc New Technology AB who now joins existing owners,
Karolinska Development and Ostersjostiftelsen. The capital will be used for
the further development of DermaGen's first candidate drug. The majority
will be used to initiate a clinical phase 2a study in patients with Atopic
Dermatitis (AD), for which the company has already received approval, and
to further develop the company's R & D pipeline.

    "We are pleased that the company has attracted a new investor. Both
Karolinska Development and Ostersjostiftelsen continue to invest,
reinforcing the financial strength of the company and enabling us to carry
out a clinical trial with DPK-060. This is a novel antimicrobial treatment
for AD, and our lead antimicrobial candidate for topical use, it will be
tested in a phase 2a study in patients during 2008," says Jan Alenfall, CEO
of DermaGen.

    The move towards clinical activities marks a new phase for DermaGen and
new members of the board of directors have been appointed to support this.

    Jonas Frick, CEO Resistentia AB, was elected as Chairman of the Board
of Directors at the annual meeting on the 31st of March. "DermaGen is a
very exciting company and I am looking forward to contributing to the
successful development of DermaGen's novel treatment options," says Jonas
Frick.

    Goran Linder, CEO of Midroc New Technology will also become member of
DermaGen's Board of Directors. "As a pharmaceutical research company,
DermaGen represents a new type of investment focus for Midroc New
Technology, we see this as an extremely exciting new opportunity," says
Goran Linder, CEO of Midroc New Technology.

    Global sales of anti-infective drugs reached $44.5 billion in 2005 and
will likely double over the next 5 years. Worldwide sales of products used
in AD therapy are growing rapidly due to the increasing prevalence of the
disease and are expected to reach $2 billion in 2013.

    The disease is characterized by chronic and pruritic inflammation of
the skin, which affects about 10-20 % of children and 1-3 % of adults
worldwide Moderate-to-severe AD has a profound effect on the quality of
life. Intractable itching, skin damage, soreness and sleep loss all
compound the burden of disease. More than 90 % of all patients are
colonized or infected by Staphylococcus aureus. These infections may
aggravate the disease through the production of superantigens that induce
an inflammation of the skin. In addition, these infections worsen the
inflammation and increase the severity of the eczema. It is estimated that
about 40 % of eczematous lesions are co-infected. Micro-organisms,
therefore, are not merely aetiological factors, but may also be responsible
for sustained disease activity as well as resistance to therapy. There is
clearly an unmet medical need for topical antibiotics in this market.

    About DermaGen

    DermaGen AB founded in 2004, is a world leader in research on
endogenous antimicrobial peptides. A specialty pharmaceutical company
focusing on the development of topically applied products for the
prevention and treatment of bacterial and fungal skin infections. Based on
novel antimicrobial peptides, modified to increase potency and stability
the products are designed to fulfil unmet medical need and significantly
improve quality of life.

    DermaGen partners with leading international pharmaceutical companies
in the dermatological field.

    Based in Lund, DermaGen functions as a virtual company, improving
cost-effectiveness by engaging CROs and consultants when needed.

    DermaGen is part of Karolinska Development Portfolio.

    For more information, please visit http://www.dermagen.se.

    About Midroc New Technology

    Midroc New Technology AB is a Swedish venture capital company that
invests at early stages in technologies with demonstrated prerequisites for
a substantial, rapid and international break-through in the fields of Life
Science, Security, and Clean Tech.

    Midroc New Technology AB is part of Midroc Europe. The Group offers a
wide range of management and contracting services to the civil and
industrial market. In total the Group has 2 700 employees and an annual
turnover amounting to SEK 4.0 billion.

    About Karolinska Development

    Karolinska Development commercializes Nordic life science innovation.
Early stage investment enables value building through long term lead
investor position, from seed stage to the market.

    http://www.karolinskadevelopment.com

    About the Ostersjostiftelsen

    The Ostersjostiftelsen was established in 1994 by the Swedish
government. In January 2007, the endowment's market value was approximately
7.1 billion Swedish kronor. There are two committees of the Board, one
deals with finances and one for academic affairs. The Foundation is
governed by a Board appointed by the Swedish government.



    For further information please contact:
    Jan Alenfall
    CEO of DermaGen
    ph: +46-46-286-4080
    mobile: +46-709-315-115
    e-mail: jan.alenfall@dermagen.se

    Jonas Frick
    Chairman of the Board
    ph: +46-18-65-39-01
    e-mail: info@dermagen.se

    Goran Linder
    CEO of Midroc New Technology AB
    ph: +46-8-706-7450

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