SUMM.L Regulatory News (SUMM)

27 Mar 2007 09:00

VASTox plc27 March 2007 VASTox plc ("VASTox" or "the Company") MAJOR PHARMACEUTICAL COMPANIES PRESENT VASTOX DATA AT LEADING INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE Oxford, UK, 27 March 2007 - VASTox plc (AIM: VOX) today announced that Roche,Bayer-Schering and Merz will present scientific data gathered using VASTox'sproprietary zebrafish technology platform at the Society of Toxicity AnnualMeeting being held in Charlotte, North Carolina between the 25-29 March 2007. In 2006, VASTox entered into a joint pilot study with the three Europeanpharmaceutical companies to test if a known set of compounds were teratogenicand would therefore cause malformations in a developing embryo. Using VASTox'sproprietary 'vivo(TM)' predictive toxicology platform, the compounds wereblind-screened in zebrafish with the results proving to be highly predictive forthis toxic effect. The results from this study will be displayed during aposter symposium at the meeting. The Society of Toxicology Annual Meeting is the largest toxicology meeting andexhibition in the world, attracting approximately 6,000 scientists fromindustry, academia and government. The data being presented at the conferencewill allow VASTox to highlight to a global audience its innovative technologyplatform, which has the potential to reduce failure rates and cost in drugdiscovery programmes. Following this successful pilot study, VASTox is developing plans to expand theoriginal collaboration to include additional leading pharmaceutical companies. Steven Lee, PhD, CEO, commented: "The completion of the successful pilot studywith these leading pharmaceutical companies provides further industry validationof the benefits our world-leading zebrafish technology platform brings to drugdiscovery programmes. The use of zebrafish within drug discovery hassignificant potential to both reduce the cost and attrition rates in drugdiscovery and also reduce the number of higher animal models used in regulatorytesting." - ends - For more information, please contact: VASToxSteven Lee, PhD, Chief Executive Officer Tel: +44 (0)1235 443951Darren Millington, Chief Financial Officer Citigate Dewe RogersonMark Swallow / David Dible / Valerie Auffray Tel: +44 (0)207 638 9571 About VASTox's zebrafish platform VASTox's zebrafish (Danio rerio) technology platform allows high-volume,high-content screening of small molecule drug candidates. This approachgenerates in vivo data, which can be used to determine key characteristics ofpotential drug candidates. These data are highly predictive of efficacy andtoxicity in humans, reducing the risk of failure in discovery programmes, whilehaving the potential to dramatically decrease the time and cost of drugdiscovery and development. VASTox has developed a wide range of validated toxicology screens, the 'vivo(TM)' screening platform, to assess compound safety and potential side effects. These include: • Acute toxicity• Cardiotoxicity• Hepatotoxicity• Myelotoxicity• Embryotoxicity & Teratogenicity About VASTox plc VASTox is a leading UK biotechnology company that discovers and developsproprietary new drugs. The Company's internal drug development programmes areunderpinned by its advanced chemistry and drug screening (chemical genomics)technology platforms, which it also provides on a collaborative orfee-for-service basis to the pharmaceutical industry. VASTox has a broad range of drug discovery programmes in the clinical,pre-clinical and discovery stages of development, which target serious diseaseswith a high unmet medical need. These therapeutic areas include neuro-disorders(neurodegenerative and neuromuscular), anti-infectives, ophthalmic diseases,oncology and regenerative medicines. VASTox's in-house drug development capabilities combine world-class expertise inboth medicinal and carbohydrate chemistry with high-volume, high-contentscreening using its proprietary zebrafish and fruitfly technologies (chemicalgenomics). These whole organism screens have the potential to dramaticallydecrease the time and cost of drug discovery and development by delivering datathat are highly predictive of the efficacy and toxicity of potential drugcompounds in humans. The company listed on the AIM market of the London Stock Exchange in October2004 - symbol: VOX Further information about the company is available at www.vastox.com This document contains "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of theU.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-lookingstatements can be identified by words such as "anticipates", "intends", "plans","seeks", "believes", "estimates", "expects" and similar references to futureperiods, or by the inclusion of forecasts or projections. Forward-looking statements are based on the Company's current expectations andassumptions regarding our business, the economy and other future conditions.Because forward-looking statements relate to the future, by their nature, theyare subject to inherent uncertainties, risks and changes in circumstances thatare difficult to predict. The Company's actual results may differ materiallyfrom those contemplated by the forward-looking statements. The Company cautionsyou therefore that you should not rely on any of these forward-lookingstatements as statements of historical fact or as guarantees or assurances offuture performance. Important factors that could cause actual results to differmaterially from those in the forward-looking statements include (factorsincluded in this presentation) and regional, national, global political,economic, business, competitive, market and regulatory conditions. This information is provided by RNS The company news service from the London Stock Exchange