New Programme

21 Jul 2005 07:00

VASTox plc21 July 2005 For immediate release 21 July 2005 VASTox plc ("VASTox" or "the Company") Initiation of a new proprietary programme Oxford, UK: 21 July 2005 - VASTox plc (AIM: VOX), the drug discovery andservices business, is pleased to announce today that it has initiated a new drugdiscovery programme focused on the treatment of Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA), agenetic neuromuscular disease. This is VASTox's third proprietary programmealongside Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy and Tuberculosis. SMA affects 50,000 people worldwide and is a degenerative disease causing lossof motor neurons in the spinal cord resulting in muscle atrophy. There arevarious forms of the disease with onset from infancy to adulthood. SMA is themost severe genetic disease in children under the age of two and there iscurrently no cure or adequate treatment for the condition. VASTox has unique and unparalleled expertise in this disease area through itsscientific founders and scientific advisory board. Professor Kay Davies CBE,FRS, and Dr Marcel van den Heuvel are both leading authorities on neuromusculardiseases working out of the Medical Research Council Functional Genetics Unit,University of Oxford. Professor Kay Davies is a scientific founder of VASTox, and Dr van den Heuveljoined the company's scientific advisory board in March 2005. Dr van den Heuvelis recognised as an expert on SMA having dedicated his research to the area forthe last four years. Utilising its in-house synergy between chemistry and biology the company isdeveloping a chemical genomic screen using Drosophila flies based on Dr van denHeuvel's research. This screen will be used to identify promising compoundsfrom VASTox's proprietary neuromuscular chemical library and advance these intonovel drugs to treat SMA. Dr Steven Lee, CEO of VASTox, said: "Initiation of this programme marks an exciting milestone for VASTox because thescientific rationale predominantly comes not from one of the original foundingscientists but from a scientific advisor who was recruited post-IPO. VASTox isbuilding on our expertise in Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy, confirming ourcommitment to finding cures for neuromuscular diseases. By leveraging ourgenomics platform, our world-leading academic advisors, and our chemistryskills, we have an opportunity to make significant progress in treating thisdisease - for the benefit of patients." For more information please contact: VASTox plcSteven Lee, Chief Executive Officer 01235 443 901 07766 913 898 Buchanan CommunicationsMark Court / Mary-Jane Johnson 020 7466 5000 Notes for Editors: About VASTox plc VASTox is a chemical genomics technology company that provides services to thepharmaceutical industry and discovers and develops proprietary novel drugs. Thecompany's technology platform aims to use high volume, high content screeningusing zebrafish and fruitflies to provide a high level of predictability of theefficacy and toxicity of potential drug compounds in humans which has thepotential to dramatically decrease the time and cost of drug discovery anddevelopment. VASTox was formed in January 2003, from the University of Oxford,by some of the UK's foremost scientists who have taken a highly creativeapproach to the problems involved in drug discovery and who have a proven recordin delivering technological excellence. The company listed on the London StockExchange AIM in October 2004. About Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA) Spinal Muscular Atrophy affects 50,000 people worldwide and is a degenerativedisease causing loss of motor neurons in the spinal cord resulting in muscleatrophy. Patients progressively lose the ability to walk, sit and, eventually,move. The most severe form, known as type I, reduces life expectancy to lessthan two years. SMA is a genetic disease caused by a defect in a single gene(SMN1). SMN protein is critical to the survival and health of motor neurons.Without this protein, nerve cells atrophy, shrink and eventually die, resultingin the observed muscle weakness. This information is provided by RNS The company news service from the London Stock Exchange