Biotechnology Value Fund, L.P. To Make Tender Offer For Any And All Outstanding Shares Of Avigen At $1.00...( Tender Offer provides stockholders wi...)

Tender Offer provides stockholders with a near-term cash alternative if BVF nominees are elected

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NEW YORK, Jan. 15 /PRNewswire/ -- Biotechnology Value Fund, L.P. ("BVF") announced today that it intends to make a cash tender offer to purchase any and all of the outstanding common stock of Avigen, Inc. (Nasdaq: AVGN) ("Avigen") that BVF does not own at a price of $1.00 per share under the conditions described below. The offer price represents a 35% premium over Avigen's closing stock price of $0.74 on January 8, 2009, the day prior to BVF's announcement that it was seeking to remove all incumbent Avigen directors and to elect its own slate of stockholder focused nominees. BVF Partners L.P., the general partner of BVF, beneficially owns an aggregate of 8,819,600 shares of Avigen, or approximately 29.63% of the outstanding shares.

On January 9, 2009, BVF announced that it had delivered a notice to Avigen to call a special meeting of stockholders (the "Special Meeting") to remove all incumbent directors and elect its own slate of stockholder-focused nominees

The tender offer will be conditioned on the following: (i) BVF's nominees being elected to the board of directors of Avigen (the "Board") at the Special Meeting (or otherwise appointed) and constituting a majority of directors on the Board, (ii) the Board redeeming rights issued under Avigen's poison pill, (iii) Avigen not committing to any strategic transactions or capital-depleting actions, pursuant to the process described by Avigen on January 14, 2009 (or otherwise), and (iv) other customary conditions such as the absence of a suspension in trading or any material adverse change at Avigen. BVF may increase the tender price if Avigen's unrestricted cash balance increases (for e
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