ValiRx Regulatory News (VAL)

29 Jan 2008 07:00

For immediate release: 29th January 2008

VALIRX PLC ("ValiRx" or the "Company") Australian GeneICE Patent Granted

ValiRx (AIM: VAL), the cancer therapeutics company, today announces that its proprietary gene-silencing technology, GeneICE, has received patent approval by the Australian Patent Office. This follows the granting of a US patent in April 2007 and a European patent in August 2007.

ValiRx holds the rights to GeneICE through its subsidiary, Cronos Therapeutics Ltd ("Cronos"), which has an exclusive worldwide license agreement with Imperial College Innovations.

GeneICE compounds have the potential to freeze the development and growth of cancerous cells and also have potential major applications in inflammatory disease and inherited genetic conditions. Cronos' partner, Cancer Research UK, a prestigious research institute in Europe, has recently completed phase one of its pre-clinical trials on GeneICE through Cancer Research Technology Limited ("CRT"). In these trials, GeneICE was successfully shown to trigger cell death in ovarian, pancreatic and prostate cancer cells and could potentially be relevant to other cancers.

Dr Satu Vainikka, CEO of ValiRx, commented:

"This latest patent further underpins the robustness of our gene silencing technology. Australia has one of the highest incidence rates for certain cancers in the world."

--Ends-- About ValiRx plc

ValiRx is a biopharmaceutical development company that is building a portfolio of complementary cancer-related therapeutic and diagnostic technologies. It currently holds a worldwide exclusive license for Nucleosomics, the early stage oncology diagnostics technology, and has majority stakes in Cronos Ltd and ValiBIO SA:

* Cronos holds worldwide exclusive licenses to two innovative and potentially market changing technologies, GeneICE and HyperGenomicsTM, and is developing further novel cancer therapies; * ValiBIO SA is a Belgium joint venture between ValiRx and BIO.be focusing on the development and commercialisation of products in the epigenomics sector, the first products to be put into development being HyperGenomics and Nucleosomics. ValiRx has a 77% majority holding in the company. ValiRx is headquartered in London, England. Further information can be found atwww.valirx.comContact Details: ValiRx Plc WH Ireland GTH Communications Dr Satu Vainikka David Youngman Toby Hall / Jade Mamarbachi +44 (0) 203 008 4416 +44 (0) 161 832 +44 (0) 20 7153 8035 2174