CPEX Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NASDAQ: CPEX) today urged stockholders to
consider all the facts when voting on the approval of the FCB I Holdings
Inc. transaction, which will deliver stockholders $27.25 per share in
cash if approved, and not to be misled by Mangrove Partners’ flawed
analysis and illusory proposal. The FCB transaction delivers immediate
and certain maximum after-tax value to stockholders. CPEX strongly
recommends stockholders review the facts outlined below and vote today
FOR the FCB transaction proposal.
MANGROVE’S ANALYSIS IGNORES THE REALITY
OF CPEX’S
BUSINESS AND ITS FUTURE RISKS
Mangrove’s analysis isn’t based in reality. Substantially all of CPEX’s
revenues are generated from Testim® royalties and are at risk due to
competition and litigation.
Mangrove incorrectly assumes Testim® royalties will continue at
historical levels and fails to account for increasing competition. As a
point in fact, licensee Auxilium recently announced its 2011 revenue
growth projections for Testim® are only expected to be approximately
4%-9%, a significant change from the approximately 17% growth assumed by
CPEX in its projections that were included in CPEX’s proxy statement.
Independent analysts have also recently revised their Testim®
projections downward but Mangrove has apparently chosen to ignore them
or remain ignorant. To cite just one of the many examples:
-
“…we already model a significant slowing of sales growth through 2015
and a sharp erosion in sales in 2016 with the introduction of an
Androgel generic...” –Jefferies & Company (February 11, 2011)
In addition, Mangrove does not acknowledge the considerable litigation
risk. As detailed in their public filings, CPEX and Auxilium are engaged
in a pending patent infringement lawsuit against Upsher-Smith
Laboratories, Inc. regarding a generic version of Testim®. An adverse
outcome in the litigation could result in one or more generic versions
of Testim® being launched in the U.S. before the expiration of the
Testim® patent in January 2025.
ISS ECHOES SIGNIFICANT RISKS OF MANGROVE PROPOSAL
In commenting on Mangrove’s opinion that CPEX should restructure the
Company on a standalone basis, ISS – a leading independent firm that
advises institutional investors on how to vote on such proposals –
stated in its report that: “… the all-cash consideration [of the FCB
transaction] gives shareholder certainty of value, which may not be
realized if shareholders opt instead for a recapitalization and
standalone strategy, given the execution, tax, litigation, and
competitive risks associated with any standalone strategy.”
MANGROVE’S ILLUSORY PROPOSAL IS BASED ON BAD MATH
AND IS
STILL NOT FINANCED
Mangrove’s math just doesn’t add up. The CPEX Board believes the
Mangrove proposal would not generate sufficient cash to pay the $28.00
special dividend because it severely underestimates the cash CPEX would
need for costs such as the appropriate cash reserves for operating the
business, transaction fees and expenses, financing fees, Mangrove’s own
proposed interest reserve requirements and the merger agreement
termination fee. When properly considered, the special dividend would be
approximately $2.30 per share less than
suggested in Mangrove’s proposal. Therefore, at best, stockholders might
see a $25.70 dividend, and that’s only if Mangrove is able to hold onto
their supposed financing sources, who keep disappearing.
Mangrove’s financing is still not committed and is highly conditional.
Despite Mangrove’s claims that its financing is in place, there are no
commitment letters from its supposed financing sources. In fact,
Mangrove has inexplicably lost two of the original seven financing
sources related to its proposal.
Mangrove – which has neglected to inform stockholders that it expressed
an interest in acquiring CPEX on December 15, 2010 at a discount to the
Company’s then-current market price of $24.05 per share – is trying to
destroy this value-creating merger transaction for its own benefit. Do
not miss this opportunity to receive maximum cash value for your CPEX
shares.
VOTE TODAY FOR THE $27.25 PER SHARE ALL CASH PREMIUM TRANSACTION
The CPEX special meeting of stockholders will be held on March 24, 2011,
but stockholders can vote today by following the instructions on their
proxy card to submit their proxy via the Internet or by telephone. If
they have Internet access, CPEX encourages stockholders to record their
vote via the Internet. If stockholders have any questions or need
assistance voting their shares, please contact MacKenzie Partners, Inc.,
CPEX’s proxy solicitor, at (800) 322-2885 or (212) 929-5500 (call
collect) or at cpex@mackenziepartners.com.
Permission to use quoted material was neither sought nor obtained.
About CPEX Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
CPEX Pharmaceuticals, Inc. is an emerging specialty pharmaceutical
company focused on the development, licensing and commercialization of
pharmaceutical products utilizing CPEX’s validated drug delivery
platform technology. CPEX has U.S. and international patents and other
proprietary rights to technology that facilitates the absorption of
drugs. CPEX has licensed applications of its proprietary CPE-215®
drug delivery technology to Auxilium Pharmaceuticals, Inc. which
launched Testim, a topical testosterone gel, in 2003. CPEX maintains its
headquarters in Exeter, NH. For more information about CPEX, please
visit www.cpexpharm.com.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION AND WHERE TO FIND IT
CPEX has filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”)
and furnished to its stockholders a definitive proxy statement in
connection with the proposed transaction with FCB (the “Definitive Proxy
Statement”). This communication may be deemed to be solicitation
material in respect of the merger with FCB. Investors and security
holders of CPEX are urged to read the Definitive Proxy Statement and the
other relevant materials (when they become available) because such
materials will contain important information about CPEX and the proposed
transaction with FCB. The Definitive Proxy Statement and other relevant
materials (when they become available), and any and all other documents
filed by CPEX with the SEC, may be obtained free of charge at the SEC’s
website at www.sec.gov.
In addition, investors and security holders may obtain free copies of
the documents CPEX files with the SEC by directing a written request to
CPEX Pharmaceuticals, Inc., 2 Holland Way, Exeter, NH 03833, Attention:
Chief Financial Officer. Copies of CPEX’s filings with the SEC may also
be obtained at the “Investors” section of CPEX’s website at www.cpexpharm.com/investor.htm.
INVESTORS AND SECURITY HOLDERS ARE URGED TO READ THE DEFINITIVE PROXY
STATEMENT AND THE OTHER RELEVANT MATERIALS (WHEN THEY BECOME AVAILABLE)
BEFORE MAKING ANY VOTING OR INVESTMENT DECISION WITH RESPECT TO THE
PROPOSED TRANSACTION WITH FCB.
CPEX and its directors and executive officers may be deemed to be
participants in the solicitation of proxies from the security holders of
CPEX in connection with the proposed transaction with FCB. Information
about those directors and executive officers of CPEX, including their
ownership of CPEX securities, is set forth in the Definitive Proxy
Statement (filed with the SEC on February 4, 2011) and in the proxy
statement for CPEX’s 2010 Annual Meeting of Stockholders (filed with the
SEC on April 9, 2010), as supplemented by other CPEX filings with the
SEC. Investors and security holders may obtain additional information
regarding the direct and indirect interests of CPEX and its directors
and executive officers in the proposed transaction with FCB by reading
the proxy statements and other public filings referred to above.
SAFE HARBOR FOR FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS
Certain items in this document may constitute forward-looking statements
within the meaning of the “safe harbor” provisions of the Private
Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These forward-looking
statements involve certain risks and uncertainties that could cause
actual results to differ materially from those indicated in such
forward-looking statements, including, but not limited to: the proposed
transaction with FCB; the performance of CPEX; the benefits of the
proposed transaction with FCB and such other risks and uncertainties as
are detailed in the Definitive Proxy Statement, in CPEX’s Annual Report
on Form 10-K filed with the SEC on March 29, 2010, and in the other
reports that CPEX periodically files with the SEC. Copies of CPEX’s
filings with the SEC may be obtained by the methods described above.
CPEX cautions investors not to place undue reliance on the
forward-looking statements contained in this document or other filings
with the SEC.
The statements in this document reflect the expectations and beliefs of
CPEX’s management only as of the date of this document and subsequent
events and developments may cause these expectations and beliefs to
change. CPEX undertakes no obligation to update or revise these
statements, except as may be required by law. These forward-looking
statements do not reflect the potential impact of any future
dispositions or strategic transactions, including the proposed
transaction with FCB, that may be undertaken. These forward-looking
statements should not be relied upon as representing CPEX’s views as of
any date after the date of this document.

Source(s) : CPEX Pharmaceuticals, Inc.