Syncona Limited - Nightstar files registration for proposed IPO in the US

THIS ANNOUNCEMENT CONTAINS INSIDE INFORMATION FOR THE PURPOSE OF ARTICLE 7 OF THE MARKET ABUSE REGULATION (EU) NO.596/2014

Syncona Limited

Nightstar files registration for proposed initial public offering in the United States

1 September 2017

Syncona Ltd ("Syncona"), a leading FTSE250 healthcare company focused on investing in and building global leaders in life science, today notes that its portfolio company NightstaRx Limited (to be reorganised as Nightstar Therapeutics Limited) ("Nightstar") has filed a registration statement on Form F-1 with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC") for a proposed initial public offering ("IPO") in the United States of its American Depositary Shares ("ADSs") representing ordinary shares (available on the SEC's EDGAR database). All ADSs to be sold in the offering will be offered by Nightstar. Nightstar has applied to list its ADSs on the NASDAQ Global Market under the ticker symbol "NITE". The number of ADSs to be sold and the price range for the proposed offering have not yet been determined.

The registration statement relating to the ADSs has been filed with the SEC but has not yet become effective. The ADSs may not be sold nor may offers to buy be accepted prior to the time the registration statement becomes effective.

A further announcement will be made in due course.

This press release does not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy securities, and shall not constitute an offer, solicitation or sale in any jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful prior to registration or qualification under the securities laws of that jurisdiction.

The securities referred to in this release are to be offered only by means of a prospectus. When available, copies of the preliminary prospectus can be obtained from Jefferies LLC, Attention: Equity Syndicate Prospectus Department, 520 Madison Avenue, 2nd Floor, New York, NY 10022, or by telephone at [phone], or by email at [e-mail]; Leerink Partners LLC, Attention: Syndicate Department, One Federal Street, 37th Floor, Boston, MA 02110, or by telephone at [phone] ext. 6132, or by email at [e-mail]; or BMO Capital Markets Corp., Attention: Equity Syndicate Department, 3 Times Square, New York, NY 10036, or by telephone at [phone], or by email at [e-mail].

[ENDS]

Enquiries

Syncona Ltd
Siobhan Weaver
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Tulchan Communications
Martin Robinson
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About Syncona:

Syncona is a leading FTSE250 healthcare company focused on investing in and building global leaders in life science. Our vision is to deliver transformational treatments to patients in truly innovative areas of healthcare while generating superior returns for shareholders. Our current investment portfolio consists of seven high quality companies in life science and a leading range of fund investments. We seek to partner with the best, brightest and most ambitious minds in science to build globally competitive businesses. We are established leaders in gene therapy, cell therapy and advanced diagnostics, and focus on delivering dramatic efficacy for patients in areas of high unmet need.

Our market leading funds portfolio seeks to generate superior returns by investing in long only and alternative investment funds. This represents a productively deployed evergreen funding base which enables us to take a long term approach to investing in life sciences as we target the best new opportunities and support our existing portfolio companies to grow and succeed.

Syncona is aligned with two of the premium charitable funders in UK science, the Wellcome Trust, original founder of Syncona, and Cancer Research UK, both of which are significant shareholders in our business. We make a donation of 0.3% of Net Asset Value to a range of charities each year.

About Nightstar

Nightstar is a leading clinical-stage gene therapy company focused on developing and commercializing novel one-time treatments for patients suffering from rare inherited retinal diseases that would otherwise progress to blindness.