SLN.L Regulatory News (SLN)

APPOINTMENT OF SIMON STURGE AS NON-EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

 21 August 2013

Silence Therapeutics plc (AIM: SLN) announces today the appointment of Simon Sturge as a non-executive director, effective immediately. Mr Sturge will also chair the remuneration and nominations committees.

Mr Sturge has over 32 years of experience in the Pharmaceutical and Biotech industries. Until recently, he was Corporate Senior Vice President of Biopharmaceuticals at Boehringer Ingelheim (BI), the world's 14th largest pharmaceutical company. At BI he was responsible for the Biopharmaceutical business unit which has approximately 2,200 employees. From 2008-2010 he was chief executive of OctoPlus, a Dutch-based listed biotech. In 1997 he founded RiboTargets, which in 2003 reversed into British Biotech, where he was also chief executive. British Biotech was renamed Vernalis and he remained chief executive until 2008. Prior to this Mr Sturge was at Celltech for 10 years where he was also on the Celltech Group Board.

Jerry Randall, Chairman of Silence Therapeutics said: "I am delighted to welcome Simon to the Board. We have been looking for a director with operational and leadership experience in both large Pharmaceutical and smaller Biotechnology companies, to guide us on our journey to a product development company from a technology company. Simon's experience and judgment will be invaluable."

Disclosures:

Mr Sturge is also director of:

Crystal Therapeutics BV

In the last five years he has been a director of:

Boehringer Ingellheim Biopharmaceuticals GmbH

OctoPlus NV

No further disclosures are required under Rule 17 and Schedule 2(g) of the AIM Rules.

For further information please contact:

Silence Therapeutics

Ali Mortazavi, chief executive/Timothy Freeborn, finance director +44 (0)333 988 0140

a.mortazavi@silence-therapeutics.com

t.freeborn@silence-therapeutics.com

N+1 Singer

Shaun Dobson/Jenny Wyllie

+44 20 7496 3000

shaun.dobson@n1singer.com

jenny.wyllie@n1singer.com