Genedrive Regulatory News (GDR)

RNS Press Release

For release: 26 October 2015: 7:00AM

Epistem Holdings Plc

("Epistem" or "the Company")

Board Change

Further to the announcement issued on 4th August 2015, Epistem (AIM: EHP), the personalised medicine and biotechnology company, today announces that Matthew Walls has resigned as a director of the Company with effect from 23 October 2015. Matthew has played an instrumental role in the development of the Company since his appointment as CEO in February 2007 to lead the Company through its admission to AIM. Dr. Ian Gilham, Non-Executive Chairman, will continue to act as Chief Executive on an interim basis, whilst the Company continues its selection process for a successor to Mr Walls.

Dr. Gilham said: "I would like to reiterate the Board's thanks to Matthew for his commitment and leadership of Epistem over the past eight years, during which he has been integral to the development of the Company. With Genedrive® and our tuberculosis test now placed with our distributer in our initial target market, Epistem is at an exciting stage of development and I look forward to presenting the Preliminary Results on 28 October 2015."

Dr. Gilham has international experience in the research, development and commercialisation of diagnostic and pharmaceutical products. He is Non-Executive Chairman of a number of UK and European companies including Concepta Diagnostics Limited, Horizon Discovery Group plc, Multiplicom NV, and Biosurfit SA. Dr. Gilham was formerly Chief Executive of Axis-Shield plc, a FTSE listed global diagnostics company, acquired by Alere in November 2011 for £235 million. He also previously worked at GlaxoSmithKline as Vice President - Pharmacogenetics and before that held international general management, marketing business development and R&D positions with Abbott Laboratories, Celltech and Amersham.

For further details please contact:

Epistem Holdings Plc

Dr Ian Gilham: Chairman +44 (0)161 606 7258

John Rylands: Finance Director

Peel Hunt LLP

James Steel +44 (0)207 418 8900

Tom Burt

Oliver Jackson

Consilium Strategic Communications

Chris Gardner / Laura Thornton +44 (0)20 3709 5700

epistem@consilium-comms.com 

Notes to Editors

Epistem is a personalised medicine and biotechnology company developing innovative diagnostics and biomarkers alongside providing contract research services to drug development companies. Genedrive® provides a major advance in molecular diagnostic testing by providing a rapid, low cost, simple to use 'Point of Care' device with high sensitivity and specificity for the diagnostics of infectious diseases and for use in patient stratification (genotyping). Genedrive® aims to provide a 'gold standard' identification of Tuberculosis & antibiotic resistance. The World Health Organisation (WHO) has publicly recommended that nations incorporate new rapid and molecular tests for Tuberculosis into their disease testing programs. The Genedrive® platform and its first Tuberculosis test is now being prepared for launch in India and the India sub-continent. Genedrive® is undergoing clinical studies in countries across the World after which regulatory submissions will be filed to enable global access and roll-out of Epistem's first Tuberculosis test product. Further details can be found at: www.epistem.co.uk and www.genedrive.comm.