Combination of Sartorius Biotech Division and Stedim Completed

  
    
  
  
    
      The combination of the Biotechnology Division of the German company 
      Sartorius AG (FWB:SRT) and French-based Stedim S.A. has been wrapped up. 
      Today, on Friday, June 29, 2007, Sartorius AG acquired the share package 
      from the Stedim founders. At the extra-ordinary general meeting that 
      took place afterwards in Paris, Stedim shareholders approved the 
      contribution of the carved-out Biotechnology Division from Sartorius 
      into Stedim and thus the increase in capital this entailed. Therefore, 
      Sartorius AG is the majority shareholder with a controlling stake in the 
      new company.
    
    
      In addition, the shareholders also resolved to rename Stedim S.A. to 
      Sartorius Stedim Biotech S.A., and elected the members for the new 
      company’s board.
    
    
      At the following meeting of the board of Sartorius Stedim Biotech, 
      Sartorius CEO and Executive Board Chairman Joachim Kreuzburg was elected 
      Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer (CEO). In addition, 
      the board includes members with an executive function: Liliane de 
      Lassus, Volker Niebel and Reinhard Vogt. Members with a non-executive 
      function on the board are Bernard Lemaître, 
      the founder of Stedim Biosystems S.A.; Arnold Picot, Chairman of the 
      Sartorius AG Supervisory Board; and Henri Riey.
    
    
      As the new majority shareholder of Sartorius Stedim Biotech, Sartorius 
      AG will soon launch a tender offer for Sartorius Stedim Biotech shares 
      owned by minority Stedim shareholders for a proposed price of 43 euros 
      in cash.
    
    
      As Sartorius strives to keep a high percentage of shareholders invested 
      in Sartorius Stedim Biotech, Sartorius will offer a limited warranty 
      against a potential decrease in the share price to such shareholders of 
      Sartorius Stedim Biotech that will not tender their shares to the offer. 
      This warranty offers a cash payment after a maturity period of 24 months 
      equal to the difference between the capitalized offer price of 47.50 
      euros and the 30-day average trading price, weighted at the time, of the 
      Sartorius Stedim Biotech shares. This payment is limited to a maximum of 
      20 euros per share. Sartorius filed the corresponding tender offer on 
      Friday, June 29, 2007 with the French exchange supervisory authority 
      (AMF). The tender offer will begin within three trading days following 
      final clearance by the AMF. After closing of the tender offer and 
      depending on the acceptance quota, Sartorius will hold from approx. 70 
      to approx. 91 percent of the shares in Sartorius Stedim Biotech, taking 
      into account the reinvestment of the founders of Sartorius Stedim 
      Biotech in the company.
    
    
      The draft tender offer documents are available on Sartorius` and 
      Sartorius Stedim Biotech`s websites. The offer terms are still subject 
      to the review of the AMF.
    
    
      The combination of the Sartorius Biotechnology Division and Stedim 
      creates a global biopharmaceutical supplier, for which pro forma sales 
      revenue of approx. 400-420 million euros is anticipated for the year 
      2007, and which will employ some 2,200 persons. Kreuzburg announced that 
      integration would take place quickly. Immediately after both businesses 
      were combined, employees would be informed about the new management 
      structures, changes in the business operations and the new corporate 
      design, according to Kreuzburg. “We 
      intensively used the four months between announcement and completion of 
      this combination in order to prepare for integration,” 
      said Kreuzburg. “With our organization that 
      will soon be completely integrated, we will once again considerably 
      enhance our positioning as a total solutions provider for the 
      biopharmaceutical industry, and focus entirely on innovation and growth 
      in this highly attractive market.”
    
    
      Sartorius and Stedim had announced their agreement to combine their 
      businesses on February 22, 2007. Following clearance of this transaction 
      by the relevant antitrust authorities, approval by the Stedim general 
      meeting and filing of the tender offer with the AMF, the combination has 
      been finalized on today’s date and the road is 
      clear for integration of both companies.
    
    
      Current image files
    
    
      Joachim Kreuzburg, Chief Executive Officer:
    
    
      www.sartorius-stedim.com/media/content/press/support/Dr_Kreuzburg. 
      jpg
    
    
      Sartorius Stedim Biotech (1):
    
    
      www.sartorius-stedim.com/media/content/press/support/Image_01.jpg
    
    
      Sartorius Stedim Biotech (2):
    
    
      www.sartorius-stedim.com/media/content/press/support/Image_02.jpg
    
    
      A profile of Sartorius Stedim Biotech
    
    
      Sartorius Stedim Biotech is a leading provider of cutting-edge equipment 
      and services for the development, quality assurance and production 
      processes of the biopharmaceutical industry. Our integrated solutions 
      covering fermentation, filtration, purification, fluid management and 
      lab technologies are supporting the biopharmaceutical industry around 
      the world to develop and produce drugs safely, timely and economically. 
      For next generation processes, we focus on single-use technologies and 
      added-value services to meet upcoming requirements of the industry we 
      serve. Strongly rooted in the scientific community and closely allied 
      with customers and technology partners, we are dedicated to our 
      philosophy of “Turning science into solutions”.
    
    
      Headquartered in Aubagne, France, and with main operations in Germany 
      and the US, Sartorius Stedim Biotech shares are listed on the Eurolist 
      of Euronext Paris. The company owns production and sales companies 
      worldwide and employs over 2,200 people. In 2007, pro forma corporate 
      sales are expected to total 400-420 mn euros.
    
    
      This press release contains statements about the future development of 
      the Sartorius Group and the Sartorius Stedim Biotech Group. We cannot 
      guarantee that the content of these statements will actually apply 
      because these statements are based upon assumptions and estimates that 
      harbor certain risks and uncertainties.
    
    
      This announcement is made for information purposes, only. It does not 
      constitute an offer to purchase nor an invitation to make an offer to 
      sell shares in Sartorius Stedim Biotech. The tender offer to acquire the 
      shares in Sartorius Stedim Biotech described in this announcement has 
      not started yet. An offer to sell will be exclusively based on the 
      definitive terms of the tender offer yet to be approved by the AMF.
    
    
      This is a translation of the original German-language press release. 
      Sartorius shall not assume any liability for the correctness of this 
      translation. The original German press release is the legally binding 
      version. Furthermore, Sartorius reserves the right not to be responsible 
      for the topicality, correctness, completeness or quality of the 
      information provided. Liability claims regarding damage caused by the 
      use of any information provided, including any kind of information which 
      is incomplete or incorrect, will therefore be rejected.