Biotechnologiebedrijf Octoplus wil nog voor het einde van het jaar 2006 naar de Amsterdamse effecten beurs.
Het geld dat wordt opgehaald wil het bedrijf gebruiken voor de verdere ontwikkeling van haar productenportfolio.
Octoplus heeft 5 producten in ontwikkeling, waarvan er 1 in fase II verkeert en momenteel op patienten wordt getest.
In het jaar 2003 op 21 februari maakte Isotis en Octoplus het volgende bekend:

Lausanne / Bilthoven, February 21, 2003 - Biosurgery company IsoTis S.A. (SWX/Euronext Amsterdam: ISON) today announces that its consolidated subsidiary IsoTis N.V., has signed a letter of intent with drug delivery and development company OctoPlus based in Leiden, the Netherlands, regarding the sale by IsoTis of its 92.46% participation in Chienna B.V. to OctoPlus.

IsoTis and OctoPlus anticipate reaching a full agreement in the first quarter of this year. The transaction is subject to due diligence, respective Board approvals and compliance with applicable laws and regulations in The Netherlands.

IsoTis NV established Chienna as a separate company in July 2002 to better capitalize IsoTis' technology for drug delivery applications. All contracts for drug delivery projects and the associated broad patent portfolio were transferred from IsoTis to Chienna at that time. Chienna has made considerable progress since it started operations. The company currently has 13 employees.

OctoPlus develops several innovative drug delivery technologies to ensure delivery at the right time at the right place of the body. Furthermore, OctoPlus is an established provider of pharmaceutical development services and GMP manufacturing to pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies world-wide. For OctoPlus the acquisition of Chienna will strongly enhance its ability to develop drugs with a sustained release profile.

Pieter Wolters, CFO of IsoTis SA commented:
"A trade sale of our shares in Chienna to OctoPlus generates the best return on our investment. It fits within the focused strategic direction IsoTis has communicated earlier this week, to become a profitable sustainable mid-sized biosurgery business, with a long term focus on orthobiology. We consider OctoPlus, as a long-standing partner of IsoTis, and a key strategic partner of Chienna. It is therefore an ideal new owner for Chienna.. "

Het commentaar van CEO Pieter Wolters geeft aan, dat uit een succesvolle ontwikkeling van "Chienna" er toekomstige inkomsten voor Isotis in kunnen zitten.