Licensing Agreement

14 Aug 2006 07:01

Synairgen plc14 August 2006 14 August 2006 SYNAIRGEN PLC ('Synairgen' or the 'Company') INTERFERON -LAMBDA INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY LICENSED FROM IMPERIAL INNOVATIONS New drug discovery candidate for treatment of asthma added to Synairgen portfolio Southampton, UK - Synairgen plc (AIM: SNG), the drug discovery company focusedon the underlying causes of asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease('COPD'), announces that it has obtained an exclusive licence to certainintellectual property from Imperial Innovations Ltd, a subsidiary of ImperialInnovations Group plc (AIM: IVO), relating to the use of interferon -lambda('IFN-lambda'), a recently discovered interferon, in the treatment ofrespiratory disease. The results of an Imperial College study into the production of IFN-lambda,suggesting its role in the defence of rhinovirus infection, were publishedonline yesterday in Nature Medicine. This worldwide licence complements Synairgen's existing intellectual property inrespect of the use of interferon beta ('IFN-beta') to combat respiratory attacksassociated with the common cold virus in severe asthma patients. Under the termsof the licence, Synairgen has paid an undisclosed initial fee and will paymilestones to Imperial Innovations based upon the development of the programmeand any potential out-licence transaction in respect of IFN-lambda which mayoccur. Interferons are produced by the body's immune system in response to viralinfection and have the ability to inhibit virus replication. Synairgen's focusis on the rhinovirus (common cold virus), which is the most common trigger forthe worsening of asthma symptoms (otherwise known as an asthma exacerbation).Treatment of asthma exacerbations represents a significant element of the $16billion annual cost of the disease in the US. Synairgen's first therapy for thetreatment of asthmatics in this area is inhaled IFN-beta, which is currently inPhase I clinical trials. Richard Marsden, Managing Director of Synairgen said, "This licence is a goodaddition to our interferon-based anti-rhinovirus programme. There is a good bodyof evidence showing IFN-beta's ability to boost the lungs' natural defenceagainst rhinovirus in asthmatics and studies on IFN-lambda are revealing similarproperties. We are pleased to add this potentially exciting new interferon intoour overall programme." -Ends- For further information, please contact:Synairgen plc Tel: 02380 512 800Richard Marsden, Managing Director Hogarth Partnership Tel: 020 7357 9477Melanie Toyne-Sewell / Georgina Briscoe / Charlie Field Notes to Editors 1. Background to Synairgen Synairgen was founded by Professors Stephen Holgate, Donna Davies and Ratko Djukanovic, a world-renowned respiratory research team from the University ofSouthampton, and spun-out from the University of Southampton in June 2003. InOctober 2004, the Company floated on AIM, raising £10.0 million (£9.0 millionnet of expenses) to enhance its research and development capabilities and investin its proprietary programmes. Further information may be found atwww.synairgen.com. 2. Online publication in Nature Medicine A brief communication entitled "Role of deficient type III interferon-lambdaproduction in asthma exacerbations" was published online in Nature Medicine on13 August 2006 and may be found at www.nature.com/nm/journal/vaop/ncurrent/index.html. 3. Asthma statistics • In the United States, there are approximately 20 million asthmatics (1). • The annual economic cost of asthma to the US is $16 billion (1). • There are 1,900,000 emergency department visits due to asthma per year in the US (1). • The cost of emergency department visits and in-patient care in relation to asthma in the US is $4.1billion (1). • There is evidence that as many as 80% of asthma exacerbations which resulted in emergency department visits can be associated with rhinovirus infections (3). • It has been shown that the severest 10% of the asthmatic population take up over 50% of the total cost of the disease (2). 4. Information about common colds and rhinovirus • Adults get an average of two to four colds per year, mostly between September and May (4). • Young children suffer from an average of six to eight colds per year (4). • Asthmatics contract as many colds as non-asthmatics (5). • Asthmatics have similar upper respiratory tract (nose and throat) symptoms as non-asthmatics (5). • Asthmatics frequently suffer lower respiratory tract (the airways in the lung) infections (5). References 1. American Lung Association. Trends in Asthma Morbidity and Mortality.2005 (www.lungusa.org) 2. P.J. Barnes, B. Jonsson, J.B. Klim: The Costs of Asthma. Eur Respir J1996 9, 636-642 3. S. Kling et al: Persistence of Rhinovirus RNA after asthma exacerbationsin children. Clin Exp Allergy 2005 May 35 (5) 672-8 4. Cold and Flu Guidelines: The Common Cold (www.lungusa.org) 5. J.M. Corne et al: Frequency, severity and duration of rhinovirus infectionsin asthmatic and non-asthmatic individuals: a longitudinal cohort study. Lancet2002 Mar 9; 359 (9309):831-4 This information is provided by RNS The company news service from the London Stock Exchange