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January 27, 2010

mondoBIOTECH Holding AG (SIX: RARE) today announces the first medical product candidate against Extensively Drug-Resistant Tuberculosis (XDR-TB)

Stans, Switzerland - January 27, 2010 mondoBIOTECH’s research Community successfully contributes to the global fight against Extensively Drug-Resistant Tuberculosis (XDR-TB). Our mondoBIOTECH Search&Match Internet Laboratory team discovered promising medical product candidates for patients affected by this severe rare disease. Among these candidates, further in vitro examinations confirmed for the first medical product candidate the initial discovery of the mondoBIOTECH Search & Match Internet Laboratory. “Having the first promising data in hand, we can now continue negotiating a licensing-out of the project with already interested parties”, concluded Patrick Pozzorini, mondoBIOTECH’s founder and CFO of the company. In the year 2006, a new rare and fatal disease became globally evident: Extensively Drug-Resistant Tuberculosis (XDR-TB). Since then, mondoBIOTECH’s research Community actively engaged in the fight to stop this Rare form of TB. Tuberculosis is outrunning us and the XDR-TB problem has been created by the global neglect of Tuberculosis . The World Health Organization (WHO) and the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) have now identified XDR-TB cases in all regions of the world. Every 20 seconds one human being is being killed by TB— nearly 5,000 every day or 1.8 million people in 2008 alone, according to the latest estimates from the WHO. More than 5% or the world’s TB cases may be multidrug-resistant. 10% of those may be extensively drug-resistant. About 49,000 new XDR-TB cases are estimated to occur each year (source: TB Alliance). The year 2010 marks the halfway point for the Global Plan to Stop TB (2006-2015) www.stoptb.org/globalplan/  in line with the United Nations' Millennium Development Goals. mondoBIOTECH’s commitment to stop Rare TB now materializes: utilizing anew the internet for the search&match and our research Community experts. Today we announce our first medicinal product candidate for patients affected from XDR-TB. “As long as TB is treated with a long, complex, decades-old, outdated drug regimen, drug resistance will inevitably continue to develop. Novel TB drugs are needed to be effective against both, drug-susceptible and drug-resistant Mycobacterium tuberculosis strains,” said Dorian Bevec, mondoBIOTECH’s co-founder and CSO. “In this respect, we are thrilled that one of our products fulfills these criteria in vitro, and therefore we want to explore it in clinical development as soon as possible.”   “The current TB treatment course consists of four medicines (known as first-line drugs): isoniazid, ethambutol, pyrazinamide and rifampin. This regimen works for active, drug-susceptible TB — as long as patients complete the six- to nine-month treatment. Those who do not or cannot complete their treatment may develop drug-resistant strains that take up to two years to treat with second-line drugs, which often cause severe side effects, “ commented Dr. med. Luca Richeldi, medical expert for Tuberculosis. “XDR-TB is defined as TB that is resistant to any fluoroquinolone, and at least one of three injectable second-line drugs (capreomycin, kanamycin, and amikacin), in addition to isoniazid and rifampin. This makes XDR-TB treatment extremely complicated and an emerging global health threat”. “Our goal is to reduce this drama in TB,” stated Fabio Cavalli, mondoBIOTECH’s founder and CEO. “This is alike in other rare diseases: to achieve high quality diagnosis and reducing the patients’ suffering by developing novel drugs with our internet search&match approach. Our hope is to provide faster cure for XDR-TB patients, as the shorter treatment may reduce the likelihood of the emergence of drug-resistant strains. This success mirrors again our novel approach in tackling severe medical problems and our new way of thinking and working.” What is Tuberculosis? Tuberculosis is an often severe and contagious airborne disease caused by infection with Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Tuberculosis typically affects the lungs but it may also affect any other organ of the body. It is usually treated with a regimen of drugs taken for six months to two years depending on the type of infection. Tuberculosis infection begins when the Tuberculosis bacteria reach the pulmonary alveoli, where they invade and replicate within alveolar macrophages. Further, they spread through the bloodstream to the more distant tissues and organs where secondary Tuberculosis lesions can develop in lung apices, peripheral lymph nodes, kidneys, the brain, and bones. The severe form of Tuberculosis is most common by infants and elderly people. Patients with this disseminated Tuberculosis have a fatality rate of approximately 20%, even with intensive treatment. Affected tissue is replaced by scarring and cavities filled with cheese-like white necrotic material. Drug-resistant Tuberculosis is Tuberculosis that is resistant to single anti-TB treatments like Isoniazid, Rifampicin, Streptomycin, or para-aminosalicylic acid. Multidrug-resistant Tuberculosis (MDR) = multi-drug resistance (at least resistance to rifampicin (RMP) + isoniazid (INH)); Extensive drug-resistant Tuberculosis (XDR) = extensive drug resistance (at least MDR plus resistance to quinolone and an aminoglycoside or capreomycin).   About Mondobiotech mondoBIOTECH holding AG (SIX Swiss Exchange ticker symbol: RARE), an independent, internet-based biotech research company, discovers drugs for patients suffering from rare and neglected diseases. Mondobiotech has built a continuously growing global community of biologists, biochemists, physicians, patients and patient advocacy organizations who share their passion and skills with Mondobiotech. Together with Mondobiotech, this community is searching for treatments for rare and neglected diseases. For further information please contact: Dr. Yvonne Gunsch-Wegmann, MBA Head of External Relations mondoBIOTECH holding AG Das Kloster Mürgstrasse 18 CH-6370 Stans-Switzerland T+ 41 (0)840 200 010 F+ 41 (0)41 611 09 34 M+41 (0)79 414 39 33 investor@mondobiotech.com www.mondobiotech.com Disclaimer The foregoing release may contain forward-looking statements. The words  “anticipates”, “believes”, “estimates”, “expects”, “intends”, “may”,  “plans”,  “projects”,  “will”,  “would”  and  similar expressions  are intended  to  identify forward-looking statements, although not  all forward-looking statements contain these identifying words.   mondoBIOTECH holding AG may not achieve the plans, intentions or expectations disclosed in its forward-looking statements and prospective investors should not place reliance on mondoBIOTECH holding AG’s forward looking statements. There can be no assurance that results of the activities and results of operations will not differ materially from the expectations. Forward- looking statements are subject to inherent risks and uncertainties, some of which cannot be predicted or quantified. Future events and actual results could differ materially from those set forth in, contemplated by or underlying the forward looking statements. mondoBIOTECH holding AG is providing the information in this press release as of this date and does not undertake any obligation to update any forward-looking statements contained in this press release as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. Personal Information This email is from MondoBIOTECH holding AG. The email and any files transmitted with it are intended solely for the use of the individual or entity to which they are addressed. Any unauthorized dissemination or copying of this email or its attachments, is strictly prohibited and may be illegal. If you have received the email in error please delete it from your system. Download the Newsletter in pdf format

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