Patent Granted

12 Apr 2007 09:03

VASTox plc12 April 2007 VASTox plc ("VASTox" or "the Company") PATENT GRANTED IN THE US WHICH FURTHER INCREASES VALUE OF DUCHENNE MUSCULAR DYSTROPHY PROGRAMME Oxford, UK, 12 April 2007 - VASTox plc (AIM: VOX) today announced that the USPatent Office has granted a patent (US Application No.10/089,928/Utrophin GenePromoter) which provides additional protection to the Company's drug discoveryprogramme in Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy (DMD). The granting of this patent in the largest global pharmaceutical marketsignificantly increases the value of VASTox's DMD programme as it furtherprotects the Company's unique approach to finding new medicines to treat thisfatal disease. This patent has also been filed in other territories includingEurope and is in addition to an earlier DMD related patent that has already beengranted in the US, Europe and Australia. The DMD programme, entirely developed internally by VASTox, continues to makeexcellent progress as illustrated by the granting of this patent and the Companyremains on target to announce a drug candidate to take forward into pre-clinicaldevelopment by the end of H1 2007. VASTox's unique scientific approach involves using small drug like molecules toincrease the body's levels of a protein called utrophin to replace a verysimilar protein called dystrophin which is missing in DMD patients. The absenceof dystrophin leads to severe muscle wasting and is ultimately fatal for all DMDsufferers. In recent months, VASTox has sought to further strengthen the patent estatearound its DMD programme through the filing of a significant number of patentswhich cover several classes of active compounds which have been identifiedduring the development of the DMD programme. Steven Lee, PhD, CEO, commented: "The award of this patent in the world'slargest pharmaceutical market is excellent news for VASTox's DMD programme asthe Company moves closer to selecting a pre-clinical development candidate.Ensuring we having a strong patent position which protects our uniquetherapeutic strategy for the development of new medicines to treat DMD is avital aspect of generating value, both in this and in all drug discoveryprogrammes." - 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 DMD programme DMD is a devastating disease that affects young males for which there iscurrently no effective treatment. Patients rarely survive beyond the age of 25. VASTox has demonstrated in vivo up-regulation (increased production) of theprotein utrophin by a number of small molecules from their proprietary chemicallibrary. This is a significant development as utrophin has been demonstrated toreplace the function of dystrophin, which is missing in DMD patients.Up-regulation of utrophin is widely viewed by the scientific community as ahighly promising avenue for the development of an effective treatment for DMD. 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