FibroGen and Shorenstein Properties Execute Build-to-Suit
Construction and Long-term Lease for Mission Bay Property
Deal Represents Largest Biotechnology
Transaction in the History of San Francisco
South San Francisco, Calif., and San Francisco, Calif. - September 27,
2006 - FibroGen, Inc. and Shorenstein Properties LLC today announced
the companies have entered into a long-term property lease providing
FibroGen with approximately 239,000 square feet at 409 Illinois Street
in Mission Bay.
FibroGen, a privately-owned biotechnology company currently based in South
San Francisco, plans to move its headquarters and research and development
operations to the Mission Bay site in the fourth quarter of 2008. FibroGen
will be the largest biotechnology company to move into Mission Bay since
the City began to actively develop its biotech cluster in 2005. In
late 2005, the city passed the Biotech Payroll Tax Exemption, a move
championed by Mayor Gavin Newsom and Supervisor Michela Alioto-Pier,
which provided a key incentive to FibroGen to move to Mission Bay.
"FibroGen has superior private backing and an unparalleled leadership
role in research and development of therapies for a wide range of
life-threatening diseases," said Douglas Shorenstein, Chairman &
CEO of Shorenstein Properties LLC. "We are delighted with FibroGen's
decision to move to Mission Bay and we look forward to providing this
highly innovative company with world class space in which to continue
its important work."
"Due to increasing clinical activity and the continuing expansion of our
research into new areas, FibroGen is on an aggressive growth track over
the next several years," said Thomas B. Neff, CEO of FibroGen. "It was
important for us to identify a location that can appropriately address
our projected growth and provide a fertile environment for continued
scientific innovation and translation of our discoveries into medical
practice. We were actively recruited to come to San Francisco by Mayor
Newsom and found that the Mission Bay community is ideally suited to meet
our needs. Without question, the City's biotech payroll tax exemption
coupled with the regulatory environment in Mission Bay helped make this
deal possible."
"This is a tremendous day for Mission Bay. FibroGen is the largest company
to date to make a commitment to San Francisco and will be bringing over
200 biotech jobs to Mission Bay," said Mayor Gavin Newsom. "We have
been working closely with FibroGen for many months and their decision
to relocate to San Francisco is a direct result of our targeted,
comprehensive strategy to attract major biotech to Mission Bay," said
Newsom.
FibroGen has advanced several internally developed drugs into clinical
testing including: oral therapies for anemia and treatment of ischemic
disease and a therapeutic antibody, which is being tested in fibrotic
diseases, progressive diabetic diseases, including nephropathy and
vascular co-morbidities, as well as pancreatic cancer. FibroGen currently
has 190 full time personnel.
"We believe that Mission Bay can meet FibroGen's need for increasing
scale while providing us a unique opportunity to expand access to
leading clinical experts and academic researchers in a variety of medical
specialties," said Mr. Neff. "Our employees will also benefit from working
in a custom designed state-of-the-art research facility located adjacent
to the central transportation hub of the Bay Area. Shorenstein Properties
has exemplified visionary leadership on this project, and we look forward
to continuing our partnership with them and continuing to develop our
relationship with the City in the months and years to come."
409 Illinois Street is part of a two-building life science campus
development planned by Shorenstein Properties for a 3.8-acre parcel of
waterfront land the real estate investment company acquired last year
as part of the Mission Bay master-planned development. The site leased
to FibroGen is located two blocks from the University of California San
Francisco (UCSF) Mission Bay teaching and research campus, has close
proximity to the financial district, and offers unobstructed views of
the San Francisco Bay. The second building at 499 Illinois Street will
total approximately 211,000 square feet, and will be available expansion
for FibroGen.
Shorenstein Properties and its development manager, SKS Investments,
will commence construction on the buildings this fall. The development
team also includes Dowler-Gruman Architects and Hathaway Dinwiddie
Construction Company.
Randy Scott, Executive Vice President of Cornish & Carey Commercial's
Palo Alto office represented FibroGen in the lease negotiations. Charles
Malet, Executive Vice President, and Vice Presidents Tom McDonnell and
Jim Collins of Shorenstein Realty Services, L.P. represented Shorenstein
Properties.
About Mission Bay
San Francisco is actively expanding the biotechnology sector at Mission Bay,
currently a central location for medical research associated with
UCSF, its affiliates, and other private and public entities. UCSF Mission Bay
campus is being built in phases over the next 15 to 20 years and is
expected to become home to over 9,000 researchers and staff. UCSF also
has plans to build state-of-the-art technologically advanced patient care
facilities at Mission Bay. Other affiliates of UCSF located at or next to
the Mission Bay site include: The California Institute of Quantitative
Biology (QB3), a cooperative venture among UCSF, UC Berkeley, UC Santa
Cruz and private industry, which is focused on the application of the
quantitative sciences - mathematics, physics, chemistry and engineering -
to biomedical research; The Gladstone Institute, a private research
institution focused on cardiovascular disease, immunology, virology
and neurological disease; and The California Institute of Regenerative
Medicine (CIRM), the State's $3 billion stem cell research initiative. The
Mayor and the Board of Supervisors were instrumental in supporting
the City's successful bid to provide a permanent home near Mission Bay
for CIRM.
About Shorenstein Properties
San Francisco-based Shorenstein Properties LLC (www.shorenstein.com)
is one of the oldest and most successful private real estate investment
companies active throughout the United States in the acquisition,
development, ownership and management of high quality office
properties. Since its beginning in 1924, the company has evolved from a
regional real estate operating company to an active national investor and
manager of commingled institutional capital. Since 1992, Shorenstein has
sponsored eight closed-end real estate investment funds. Shorenstein's
substantial co-investment, integrated investment and operating strategy
and strong performance have positioned the company as an experienced
leader in the value-added arena.
About FibroGen
FibroGen, Inc. is a biotechnology-based drug discovery company using
its expertise in the fields of tissue fibrosis, connective tissue growth
factor (CTGF), and hypoxia-inducible factor (HIF) biology to discover,
develop, and commercialize novel therapeutics for fibrotic disorders,
diabetic complications, anemia, ischemic disease, cancer, and other areas
of unmet medical need. FibroGen also develops and produces recombinant
human collagens and gelatins using unique production technology that
provides the basis for FibroGen's proprietary cosmetic dermal filler
and biomaterials supply business.
For more information about FibroGen, Inc., please visit
www.fibrogen.com.
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Contact for FibroGen:
Laura Hansen, 650-866-7828, lhansen@fibrogen.com
Contact for Shorenstein Properties LLC:
Andrew Neilly,
Gallen.Neilly & Associates 925.930.9848, andrew@gallen.com