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14 Jul 2008 14:23
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ValiRx plc
Directors' shareholdings
14 July 2008,Β London.Β ValiRx plc (AIM:VAL, 'ValiRx') the cancer therapeutics and diagnostics company, announcesΒ Dr Satu Vainikka and Gerry Desler, both directors of the Company, have today purchased the following ordinary shares of 6p each in the Company ("Ordinary Shares") at 6p per share:
|
Director |
Ordinary Shares purchased |
New shareholding |
Percentage shareholding |
|
Dr Satu Vainikka |
16,667 |
3,861,507 |
7.29% |
|
Gerry Desler |
83,333 |
83,333 |
0.16% |
Enquiries:Β
|
ValiRx plc |
Tel: +44 (0) 20 3008 4416 |
|
Dr. Satu Vainikka |
|
|
WH Ireland Limited - Nominated Adviser |
Tel: +44 (0) 161 832 2174 |
|
DavidΒ Youngman / Adrian Kirk |
|
|
College HillΒ |
Tel: +44 (0) 20 7457 2020 |
|
Adrian Duffield/Justine Lamond |
valirx@collegehill.comΒ |
Notes to Editors
About ValiRx -Β www.valirx.com
ValiRx plc (AIM:VAL, 'ValiRx') is a cancer therapeutics and diagnostics company headquartered in London, England and admitted toΒ AIMΒ in October 2006. The Company operates through two subsidiaries, ValiPharma (formerly trading as Cronos Therapeutics) (www.valipharma.com), a UK-based epigenetic drug discovery and development business and ValiBio SA (www.valibio.com), a Belgium-based oncology diagnostics operation.
Therapeutics - ValiPharmaΒ
ValiRxΒ utilises a cells own inherent gene control machinery to silence genes involved in cancer cell progression, effectively "switching off" genes involved in certain forms of cancerΒ through its platform technology GeneICEβ’Β (Gene Inactivation by Chromatin Engineering),. GeneICEβ’Β works through the recruitment of silencing complexes known as Histone Deacetylase Complexes (HDACs) to target genes involved in cancer.Β ValiRx's lead productΒ VALΒ 101 targets the anti-apoptotic geneΒ BCL-2 which is over expressed in many cancers including in pancreatic cancer. The Company has also recently expanded its pre-clinical portfolio to include VAL 201 in prostate cancer.
Gene silencing technology platform potentially represents an innovative and ground breaking new approach to cancer treatment as it allows for the development of targeted, personalised medicine and treatment for patients. GeneICEβ’Β is also applicable to a wide variety of other genetic disorders such as in the fields ofΒ neurology and inflammatory diseases.Β
Diagnostics - ValiBio
ValiRx currently has two epigenetic diagnosis products - HyperGenomicsTM, aΒ method for the detection and identification of hypersensitive sites in cells andΒ NucleosomicsTM, a non-invasive (blood) test for early cancer diagnosis based on epigenetic signal changes associated with malignancyΒ - which it licences to its subsidiary, ValiBio.
Epigenetics
Epigenetics is the study and manipulation of regulatory factors which regulate and determine gene expression.Β
Unlike mutations which occur in DNA, epigenetic changes are reversible. The 'epigenetic' modification of the genome may take many forms, such as addition of external chemical groups for example methylation, acetylation and ubiquitination on to histone proteins associated with DNA.Β
Research currently suggests the de-regulation of normal epigenetic control mechanisms is implicated in the development and progression of certain cancers.Β Hence, compounds which specifically target and reverse these changes are attractive and potentially powerful candidates for future therapeutic approaches to cancer.
Personalised medicine
Personalised medicine refers to tailoring treatment strategies to work differently in different individuals, dependant upon such factors such as their genetic profile, epigenetic profile, environment and the presence of other diseases in the individual.
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