Santhera Pharmaceuticals : Extends Executive Management and Appoints Chief Commercial Officer

Liestal, Switzerland, January 30, 2015 - Santhera Pharmaceuticals (SIX: SANN) today announced the strengthening of the leadership team through nomination of senior members of staff to its Executive Management and the appointment of a Chief Commercial Officer.

With effect of February 1, 2015, the Board of Directors announces the expansion of Santhera's leadership team and appointed senior staff members Nicholas Coppard, PhD, SVP Head Development, Günther Metz, PhD, SVP Business Development, and Oliver Strub, General Counsel and Secretary to the Board, to the Executive Management Team headed by CEO Thomas Meier, PhD.

Also effective February 1, 2015, Giovanni Stropoli has been appointed as Chief Commercial Officer for Europe and Rest of World. He will report to the Company's CEO, Thomas Meier, and will also join the Executive Management. Mr. Stropoli joins Santhera from InterMune, recently acquired by Roche, where he was responsible for the successful launch of the breakthrough orphan drug Esbriet^® in 11 countries.

Santhera's commercial organization will be further strengthened by the hiring of professionals with experience in successfully managing the international commercialization of orphan and niche-market drug products. This will extend the Company's competencies in market access, pricing and reimbursement, supply chain and logistics, business planning and operations.

The Company is currently evaluating candidates for the position of CFO who will also become a member of Executive Management.

Martin Gertsch, Chairman of the Board, commented: "The year 2015 could mark a major milestone for Santhera. By evolving our organization, we secure the in-house expertise needed to realize the full potential of the lead product Raxone^®/Catena^® and to build and advance the Company's pipeline. We are absolutely delighted that we can attract and rely on highly talented professionals, and we believe that the strength of the leadership team will enable us to build sustainable growth and long-term success for Santhera."

Thomas Meier, CEO of Santhera, added: "I am very pleased about the Board's appointments of highly experienced, fully committed and long-term colleagues to the Executive Management and I am excited to welcome Giovanni to Santhera. Together we will ensure the optimal preparation for a successful EU market launch of Raxone^® in its first indication Leber's Hereditary Optic Neuropathy. We are committed to advancing Santhera as a prominent specialty pharma company dedicated to the development and commercialization of urgently needed therapies to improve the lives of patients suffering from orphan neuromuscular and mitochondrial diseases."

Abbreviated CVs of newly appointed members of Santhera's Executive Management

Nicholas Coppard, PhD (SVP, Head Development) joined Santhera in 2008 and has over 30 years of experience in the pharmaceutical industry, both in big pharma and biotech, and has overseen the development, registration and life-cycle management of several important medicines in a variety of therapeutic areas.

Günther Metz, PhD (SVP, Business Development) has more than 20 years of experience in the life science industry. He joined Santhera in 2004 from Graffinity, one of the two companies that merged to form Santhera. Previously he worked in drug discovery at Fournier Pharma.

Oliver Strub (SVP, General Counsel & Secretary to the Board) joined Santhera in 2006. As an experienced commercial lawyer he previously worked as Head Corporate Law and Chief Compliance Officer for Ciba-Geigy and Ciba Specialty Chemicals (now part of BASF).

Giovanni Stropoli (Chief Commercial Officer Europe & RoW) has over 25 years of experience in commercialization, sales and marketing of pharmaceutical products. Prior to InterMune, where he was responsible for the successful launch of the breakthrough orphan drug Esbriet® in 11 countries, he held senior commercial functions with Eisai, ALK-Abelló and Eli Lilly.

Further information on Santhera's Executive Management is available on the Company's website.

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About Santhera
Santhera Pharmaceuticals (SIX: SANN) is a Swiss specialty pharmaceutical company focused on the development and commercialization of innovative pharmaceutical products for the treatment of orphan mitochondrial and neuromuscular diseases. Santhera develops Raxone^®/Catena^® as treatment for patients with Leber's Hereditary Optic Neuropathy (LHON), Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy (DMD) and Primary Progressive Multiple Sclerosis (PPMS) and omigapil for congenital muscular dystrophies (CMD), all areas of high unmet medical need for which no therapies are currently available. For further information, please visit the Company's website www.santhera.com:
http://www.santhera.com.

Raxone^® and Catena^® are trademarks of Santhera Pharmaceuticals.

For further information, contact
Thomas Meier, Chief Executive Officer
Phone: +41 61 906 89 64
thomas.meier@santhera.com:
mailto:thomas.meier@santhera.com

US investor contact:                                                     US Public Relations contact:
Andrew McDonald                                                         Deanne Eagle
LifeSci Advisors, LLC                                                    Planet Communications
Phone +1 646 597 6979                                                 Phone: +1 917 837 5866
andrew@lifesciadvisors.com:
mailto:andrew@lifesciadvisors.com                                         deanne@planetcommunications.nyc:
mailto:deanne@planetcommunications.nyc

Disclaimer / Forward-looking statements
This communication does not constitute an offer or invitation to subscribe for or purchase any securities of Santhera Pharmaceuticals Holding AG. This publication may contain certain forward-looking statements concerning the Company and its business. Such statements involve certain risks, uncertainties and other factors which could cause the actual results, financial condition, performance or achievements of the Company to be materially different from those expressed or implied by such statements. Readers should therefore not place undue reliance on these statements, particularly not in connection with any contract or investment decision. The Company disclaims any obligation to update these forward-looking statements.