Benitec Establishes A Sponsored US ADR Program

SYDNEY, May 30, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Benitec Biopharma Limited (ASX: BLT) (OTC: BTEBY) is pleased to announce the establishment of a sponsored, Level 1 American Depositary Receipt (ADR) program facility, trading in the Over-The-Counter (OTC) market in the United States. The ADR program was declared effective in the U.S. on Friday 30 May 2014. The ADR ticker symbol is BTEBY.

Benitec has appointed the Bank of New York Mellon (BNYM) as its authorised U.S. representative and Depositary Bank to administer the ADR facility.

Benitec has negotiated the ability for BNIKF shareholders to transition across to the sponsored ADR program without incurring issuance fees for a limited period.  Should BNIKF shareholders wish to transition their holdings, they should contact BNY Mellon's issuance desk on +1 212 815 2037 / 2724 / 6933 / 2252 by 30 June 2014. After this period issuance fees will apply.  

Particulars for the U.S. sponsored ADR program as follows:

U.S Exchange: OTC

CUSIP Number: 082053208

ISIN Number: US0820532085

ADR Ticker Symbol: BTEBY

ADR to Ordinary Share Ratio: 1:5

For further information, please contact the persons below, or visit the Benitec website at www.benitec.com.

About Benitec Biopharma Limited:

Benitec Biopharma Limited is an ASX-listed biotechnology company (ASX Code: BLT) based in Sydney, Australia. The company has a pipeline of in-house and partnered therapeutic programs based on its patented gene-silencing technology, ddRNAi. Benitec is developing treatments for chronic and life-threatening human conditions such as Hepatitis C, Hepatitis B, wet age-related macular degeneration, cancer-associated pain, drug resistant lung cancer and oculopharyngeal muscular dystrophy based on this technology. In addition, Benitec has licensed ddRNAi technology to other biopharmaceutical companies who are progressing their programs towards the clinic for applications including HIV/AIDS, retinitis pigmentosa and Huntington's disease. For more information on Benitec refer to the Company's website at www.benitec.com.

About BNY Mellon:

BNY Mellon acts as depositary for more than 2,800 American and global depositary receipt programs, acting in partnership with leading companies from over 65 countries. BNY Mellon is committed to helping securities issuers access the world's rapidly evolving financial markets and delivers a comprehensive suite of depositary receipt services. Learn more at www.bnymellon.com/dr

BNY Mellon is a global investments company dedicated to helping its clients manage and service their financial assets throughout the investment lifecycle. Whether providing financial services for institutions, corporations or individual investors, BNY Mellon delivers informed investment management and investment services in 35 countries and more than 100 markets. As of March 31, 2014, BNY Mellon had $27.9 trillion in assets under custody and/or administration, and $1.6 trillion in assets under management. BNY Mellon can act as a single point of contact for clients looking to create, trade, hold, manage, service, distribute or restructure investments. BNY Mellon is the corporate brand of The Bank of New York Mellon Corporation (NYSE: BK). Learn more at www.bnymellon.com, or follow us on Twitter @BNYMellon.

SOURCE Benitec Biopharma Limited