Genedrive Regulatory News (GDR)

18 December 2014

Epistem Plc

("EpistemÓ or "the Company")

Grant of Options

The Board of Epistem (AIM: EHP), the rapidly growing biotechnology company, announces today the issue of share options, as detailed below, to Non-executive directors Dr Ian Gilham and Dr Roger Lloyd, following the recommendation of the Remuneration Committee:

The Company has awarded to Dr Ian Gilham the issue of options over 100,000 ordinary shares of £0.015p, representing 1.0% of the current issued share capital of the Company, exercisable at 278p per share, being the current market value of EpistemÕs shares and based on performance criteria to be determined by the Remuneration Committee. Dr Ian Gilham holds no other options or shares in the Company; and

The Company has awarded to Dr Roger Lloyd the issue of options over 30,000 ordinary shares of £0.015p, representing 0.3% of the current issued share capital of the Company, exercisable at 278p per share, being the current market value of EpistemÕs shares and based on performance criteria to be determined by the Remuneration Committee. Dr Roger Lloyd holds no other options or shares in the Company.

For further information contact:

Epistem Plc

Matthew Walls, Chief Executive Officer ++44 161 606 7258

John Rylands, Finance Director

Peel Hunt LLP 

James Steel ++44 207 418 8900

Clare Terlouw

Wallbrook PR

Mike Wort

Anna Dunphy ++44 207 933 8780

Notes for editors

About Epistem

Epistem (http://www.epistem.co.uk) is a personalised medicine and biotechnology company commercialising its technology and expertise in the areas of infectious and epithelial disease (oncology, gastrointestinal and dermatological). Epistem develops innovative diagnostics and pharmacogenomics (Genedrive¨), target discovery of novel therapeutics and contract research services for drug development companies. Epistem operates three divisions, Personalised Medicine (Diagnostics and Pharmacogenomics), Contract Research Services and Novel Therapies.

Genedrive¨ (http://www.genedrive.com) provides a major advance in next-generation molecular diagnostic testing by providing a handheld, rapid, low-cost, simple-to-use 'point of care' device with high sensitivity and specificity for diagnosis of infectious diseases. Genedrive¨ aims to provide a 'gold standard' identification of tuberculosis and antibiotic resistance. The World Health Organisation (WHO) has publicly recommended that nations incorporate new rapid molecular tests for tuberculosis into their disease testing programs.

Epistem's Genedrive¨ platform has applications across a wide range of bacterial, viral and fungal and somatic mutation diseases for which Epistem is developing a menu of diagnostic tests.