2005 media releases

01/12/2005 Symbion Health acquires Mansfield Pathology.
Symbion Health (ASX: SYB) today announced that it has entered into an agreement to acquire Mansfield Pathology, a privately owned New South Wales-based pathology practice.

16/11/2005 Mayne shareholders overwhelmingly approve demerger of Mayne Pharma Limited
Mayne Group Limited (Mayne) shareholders today voted overwhelmingly to approve the demerger of Mayne's international, injectable generic and specialty pharmaceutical operations (Mayne Pharma) from its family of domestic healthcare businesses. Shareholders also endorsed Mayne's name change to Symbion Health Limited.
11/11/2005 Mayne prepares to defend NSW Payroll tax claim
Mayne Group Limited (Mayne) is preparing to defend a claim by the NSW Office of State Revenue that payments relating to General Practitioners who operate their practices within Mayne's medical centre sites in NSW are subject to payroll tax.
08/11/2005 Mayne 2005 Annual General Meeting
The shareholders of Mayne Group Limited have approved all items of business put forward at the company's Annual General Meeting held in Melbourne today.
03/11/2005 Mayne receives US court judgement for propofol
Mayne Group Limited (ASX:MAY) in its Explanatory Memorandum regarding the proposed demerger of Mayne Pharma, disclosed that the company is involved in litigation in the United States regarding its generic injectable formulation of the anaesthetic product Propofol.
10/10/2005 Mayne releases explanatory memorandum for shareholders on Demerger Proposal
Mayne Group Limited (Mayne) today lodged the Explanatory Memorandum for its demerger proposal with the Australian Stock Exchange (ASX). The lodgement follows an order of the Supreme Court of Victoria on 7 October 2005 convening a meeting of shareholders to vote on the scheme of arrangement forming part of the demerger proposal. The Explanatory Memorandum will be posted to shareholders later this week.
23/09/2005 Mayne lodges explanatory memorandum with ASIC and proceeds with proposed demerger
Mayne Group Limited (Mayne) announced today that it has lodged the Explanatory Memorandum in relation to the proposed demerger of its injectable generic and specialty pharmaceutical business (Mayne Pharma) with the Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC).
31/08/2005 Mayne Pharma announces new CEO appointment
The Chairman of Mayne Group Limited (Mayne), Mr Peter Willcox, today announced the Board will be appointing Dr Thierry Soursac as Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director for Mayne Pharma upon Mayne's shareholders giving approval to proceed with the demerger and the demerger becoming effective.
24/08/2005 Mayne reports healthy increase in full year EBIT
Mayne Group Limited (ASX:MAY) today announced an 11% increase in earnings before interest, tax and significant items (EBIT) for its continuing business to $174 million for its 2005 financial year and an increase in cash earnings per share (EPS) of 16% to 29.2 cents.

09/08/2005 Mayne announces domestic business CEO appointment
The Chairman of Mayne Group Limited (Mayne), Mr Peter Willcox, today announced that following a thorough and rigorous executive search process, the Board will be appointing Mr Robert Cooke as the Group Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer for Mayne's family of Australian healthcare businesses.
05/08/2005 Mayne receives Australian court decision for Epirubicin
Mayne Group Limited (ASX:MAY) advises that the Federal Court of Australia (Victorian Division) has today ruled that Mayne Pharma's formulation of Epirubicin infringes a patent of the innovator - Pharmacia Italia S.P.A. (a subsidiary of Pfizer, Inc.).  Mayne will consider appealing today's ruling. In addition, Mayne is challenging the validity of the extension of the Australian patent which runs from June 2006 to June 2011.
01/07/2005 Mayne Pharma provides strategic update
Mayne Group Limited (Mayne) is today providing a strategic update in relation to Mayne Pharma, its international generic and specialty pharmaceuticals business. In addition to advising that Mayne Pharma has recently completed a number of bolt-on acquisitions and other strategic arrangements in Europe to further enhance its business platform in that region, this announcement also provides an update regarding propofol and ondansetron for the US market.
28/06/2005 Mayne appoints non-executive director
Mayne Group Limited (Mayne) today announced the appointment of Dr Nora Scheinkestel as a non-executive director of the company effective 1 July 2005. 

17/06/2005 Update regarding proposed demerger
Mayne Group Limited (Mayne) advised today that based on further work conducted as part of the demerger review process announced on 4 May 2005, the Board has determined to proceed with a demerger involving separate Australian listings of its global injectable pharmaceutical business (Mayne Pharma) and its domestic healthcare businesses (Mayne Diagnostic Services, Mayne Pharmacy and Mayne Consumer Products).  

08/06/2005 Mayne announces Board appointments
Mayne Group Limited (ASX:MAY) today announced the appointment of two new nonexecutive Directors to the Mayne Board, Mr James (Jim) Hall and Mr Paul McClintock.
04/05/2005 Mayne to assess merits of demerger
Mayne Group Limited (Mayne) announced today that it is undertaking a strategic review to assess the merits of a demerger involving separate listings of its global pharmaceutical business and an entity focussed on its domestic healthcare businesses.
25/02/2005 Mayne expands UK aseptic manufacturing services with Intra-Tech acquisition
Mayne Group Limited (ASX:MAY) announced today that its Mayne Pharma business unit will establish a leading position in the commercial supply of aseptic manufacturing services (AMS) in the UK through the acquisition of Intra-tech Healthcare Limited. Intra-Tech is a manufacturer and distributor of aseptically prepared pre-filled syringes and infusion bags. Staffed with 94 personnel and based in London, Intra-Tech manufacture (compound) primarily chemotherapy and total parenteral nutrition products for supply to the UK National Health Service.

23/02/2005 Mayne reports 26% increase in half year earnings
Mayne Group Limited (ASX:MAY) today announced a 26% increase in EBITA (before significant items) to $134.2 million for the six months ended 31 December 2004. This is the sixth consecutive half of earnings growth across the core businesses of Pharmaceuticals, Diagnostic Services and Pharmacy.

22/02/2005 Mayne Pharma and Pliva enter biogeneric partnership
Mayne Group Limited (ASX:MAY) announced today that its Mayne Pharma business unit has entered into a strategic collaboration with PLIVA d.d. (PLIVA), a leading international generic and specialty pharmaceutical company, to develop and manufacture two major biogeneric products commonly used by cancer patients - erythropoietin (EPO) and granulocyte colony stimulating factor (G-CSF) - that Mayne will exclusively market and distribute in Western Europe and other selected markets around the world.

18/02/2005 Mayne receives English Court of Appeal decision for Epirubicin
Mayne Group Limited (ASX:MAY) advises that the English Court of Appeal has today ruled that Mayne Pharma's (Mayne) formulation of Epirubicin infringes a patent of the innovator - Pharmacia Italia S.P.A (a subsidiary of Pfizer, Inc.).  Epirubicin is commonly used in the treatment of breast cancer.

10/02/2005 Mayne receives USFDA warning letter regarding adverse drug event reporting
Under United States Food and Drug Administration (USFDA) regulations, pharmaceutical companies are required to follow guidelines that deal with the receipt, documentation, assessment and reporting of adverse drug events (ADEs), or suspected adverse patient reactions to medicines, to the appropriate regulatory authorities within a prescribed period of time.  These administrative processes are known in the pharmaceutical industry as pharmacovigilance.
02/02/2005 Mayne Pharma and Strides broaden supply and distribution partnership with anti-infective products
Mayne Group Limited (ASX:MAY) announced today that its Mayne Pharma business unit has entered into an agreement with Strides Arcolab Limited (Strides), a leading Indian developer and manufacturer of pharmaceuticals, to develop and manufacture a range of anti-infective products that Mayne will market and distribute in the US and European markets.