Hong Kong, China -- (SBWire) -- 12/07/2017 --Novogen Ltd, an Australian oncology drug development company, announces today that it has entered into a Letter of Intent with Cedrus Investments Ltd for advisory services in order to establish a corporate structure focused on expansion into the Greater China region.

Key Points

- Following initial face-to-face discussions with third parties in China, Novogen has signed Letter of Intent with Cedrus Investments, a leading specialist investment bank based in Hong Kong, for advisory services in order to establish a corporate structure and operations in the People's Republic of China

- Novogen entity will be a Wholly Foreign Owned Enterprise (WFOE), initially with minimal infrastructure, to serve as administrative unit for China expansion

- Key objective will be to further explore partnerships and commercialization opportunities in China over a medium- to long-term horizon

- China is the world's second-largest pharmaceutical market, with approximately US$116.7 billion in annual sales, and an annual growth rate of 12.4% (per QuintilesIMS Market Prognosis, October 2016)

The new corporate entity will enable Novogen to interact directly with the Chinese Food and Drug Administration (CFDA) for future clinical trials of its pipeline in China, and will facilitate potential partnering and investing opportunities for the company.

The Letter of Intent defines the key terms of the proposed establishment, with most of the work expected to be conducted in the first half of calendar 2018, subject to execution of definitive agreements. It is expected that the Chinese entity will be a Wholly Foreign Owned Enterprise (WFOE), headquartered in Shanghai.

Novogen CEO, Dr. James Garner, commented, "China is a key market for pharmaceutical companies, and over the last few months we have been actively exploring opportunities to engage with Chinese companies, researchers, and investors to support the development of Novogen's current and future pipeline there. The team at Cedrus Investments have been helping global companies best position themselves to identify and work with investors and business partners in the Greater China region, and are highly experienced in navigating the complex regulatory requirements in China. We are pleased to be working with them on this important project. The new corporate structure will put us in a stronger position to capitalize on opportunities in China over the medium term."

In addition to its Australian operations and the intended China operation, Novogen also has a US-based corporate entity, Novogen North America, Inc.

About Novogen Limited
Novogen Limited is an emerging oncology-focused biotechnology company, based in Sydney, Australia. Novogen has a portfolio of development candidates, diversified across several distinct technologies, with the potential to yield first-in-class and best- in-class agents in a range of oncology indications.

The lead program is GDC-0084, a small molecule inhibitor of the PI3K / AKT / mTOR pathway, which is being developed to treat glioblastoma multiforme. Licensed from Genentech in late 2016, GDC-0084 is anticipated to enter phase II clinical trials in 2017. A second clinical program, TRX-E-002-01 (Cantrixil) commenced a phase I clinical trial in ovarian cancer in December 2016. In addition, the company has several preclinical programs in active development, the largest of which is substantially funded by a CRC-P grant from the Australian Federal Government.

For more information, please visit: http://www.novogen.com.