Santhera Pharmaceuticals Holding AG: Santhera announces appointment of Kristina Timdahl as Chief Medical Officer and Head of Development as of January 2017

Santhera Pharmaceuticals Holding AG / Santhera announces appointment of Kristina Timdahl as Chief Medical Officer and Head of Development as of January 2017 . Processed and transmitted by Nasdaq Corporate Solutions. The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.

Liestal, Switzerland, October 4, 2016 - Santhera Pharmaceuticals (SIX: SANN) announces the appointment of Kristina Timdahl, MD, as Chief Medical Officer and Head of Development and Member of the Executive Management with effect from January 1, 2017. Kristina Timdahl will replace Nick Coppard, PhD, who will retire in January 2017. As Head Development for over eight years, Nick Coppard was instrumental in the successful development of Santhera's lead drug Raxone in multiple indications.

Kristina Timdahl studied chemistry and biochemistry and graduated as a medical doctor from the Karolinska Institute, Sweden. She joins Santhera as a biopharmaceutical executive with 18 years experience in drug development across multiple therapeutic areas, including orphan diseases. Kristina Timdahl has worked in clinical development roles at Wyeth, AstraZeneca and Biovitrum and currently serves as VP and Head of Clinical Development at Sobi, where she is leading the clinical development of all programs from first in man through commercialization to full life cycle management.

"We are very grateful for the outstanding contribution Nick has made as Head Development at Santhera. Under his leadership we gained marketing approval for Raxone for the treatment of Leber's hereditary optic neuropathy and completed the first ever successful phase III trial in Duchenne muscular dystrophy, just to name a few highlights," commented Thomas Meier, PhD, CEO of Santhera Pharmaceuticals. "Anticipating Nick's retirement plans, I am very pleased that Kristina, with her strong track record in developing orphan drugs will be joining us to take over leadership of our ongoing and future development programs. In this important role, Kristina will join our Executive Management Team as of January 2017."

Announcing his decision to retire Nick Coppard commented: "I am very proud of my contribution as Head of Development to the success of Santhera and I believe I leave a development team and company extremely well equipped to deal with the challenges ahead. I will work to ensure a smooth transition of responsibilities to Kristina whom I expect will be very effective in the new role of CMO at Santhera. I am confident Santhera will go on to establish a global presence as the first company to have developed a treatment for mitochondrial diseases."

About Santhera
Santhera Pharmaceuticals (SIX: SANN) is a Swiss specialty pharmaceutical company focused on the development and commercialization of innovative pharmaceutical products for the treatment of orphan mitochondrial and neuromuscular diseases. Santhera's lead product Raxone (idebenone) is authorized in the European Union, Norway, Iceland and Liechtenstein for the treatment of Leber's hereditary optic neuropathy (LHON). Santhera has filed a Marketing Authorization Application (MAA) in the European Union for Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD), the second indication for Raxone. In collaboration with the US National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS) Santhera is developing Raxone in a third indication, primary progressive multiple sclerosis (PPMS), and omigapil for the treatment of congenital muscular dystrophy (CMD), all areas of high unmet medical need. For further information, please visit the Company's website www.santhera.com (http://www.santhera.com).

Raxone^® is a trademark of Santhera Pharmaceuticals.

For further information, contact: Thomas Meier, PhD, Chief Executive Officer Phone [phone] [e-mail] (mailto:[e-mail])	Christoph Rentsch, Chief Financial Officer Phone [phone] [e-mail] (mailto:[e-mail]%20)
Daniel Piller, Head Communications Phone [phone] [e-mail] (mailto:[e-mail])
US investor contact: Hans Vitzthum, LifeSci Advisors, LLC Phone [phone] [e-mail] (mailto:[e-mail])	US Public Relations contact: Deanne Eagle, Planet Communications Phone [phone] [e-mail] (mailto:[e-mail])

Disclaimer / Forward-looking statements
This press release may contain certain forward-looking statements concerning the Company and its business. Such statements involve certain risks, uncertainties and other factors which could cause the actual results, financial condition, performance or achievements of the Company to be materially different from those expressed or implied by such statements. Readers should therefore not place undue reliance on these statements, particularly not in connection with any contract or investment decision. The Company disclaims any obligation to update these forward-looking statements.

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News Release CMO (http://hugin.info/137261/R/2046432/764762.pdf)

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Source: Santhera Pharmaceuticals Holding AG via Globenewswire

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Santhera Pharmaceuticals Holding AG
Hammerstrasse 49 Liestal Switzerland

ISIN: CH0027148649;