Patent Granted

11 Feb 2008 07:01

Synairgen plc11 February 2008 PRESS RELEASE SYNAIRGEN PLC ('Synairgen' or the 'Company') Patent Granted for Lung Barrier Screening Test Southampton, UK - 11 February 2008: Synairgen plc (LSE:SNG), the companydeveloping novel therapies for asthma and COPD, today announces that a US patenthas been granted for a screening test that can identify compounds capable ofimproving lung barrier function in asthmatics ("Barrier Function"). In asthmatics, the cell barrier that lines the lungs is poorly formed and may beone of the root causes of asthma. It is believed that external irritants such aspollen, air pollution and viruses may pass through this 'leaky' barrier therebycreating the inflammation, which many conventional steroid-based asthmatherapies are designed to treat. Synairgen's patented test enables it tovalidate early stage compounds with the potential of improving Barrier Function. Using the screening test, Synairgen has shown that a panel of growth factors canrestore Barrier Function in its proprietary asthmatic cell models. The Companyhas engineered one of these factors to target the specific cells associated withBarrier Function and it is being developed for delivery by inhalation bySynairgen. Richard Marsden, Managing Director of Synairgen, said: "The granting of this patent validates the novelty of our approach to asthmaresearch. We have successfully used the 'screen' to optimise Synairgen's growthfactor which is currently in pre-clinical development." Ends For further information, please contact: Synairgen Tel: + 44 (0) 2380 512 800Richard Marsden, Managing DirectorJohn Ward, Finance Director The Hogarth Partnership Tel: + 44 (0) 20 7357 9477Melanie Toyne-Sewell / Simon Hockridge Notes for Editors About Synairgen Synairgen is a drug discovery company founded by Professors Stephen Holgate,Donna Davies and Ratko Djukanovic, focused on identifying and out-licensing newpharmaceutical products which address the underlying causes of asthma andchronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Synairgen is listed on AIM (LSE: SNG). For more information about Synairgen please see www.synairgen.com. Asthma statistics • There are approximately 22 million asthmatics in the USA(1) • The economic cost to the USA is $19.7 billion per year(2) • Asthma accounts for 1,770,000 emergency department visits per year in the USA(1) • The cost of emergency department visits and in-patient care in relation to asthma in the USA is $4.7 billion(2) • 50% of the total cost of the asthma is apportioned to 10% of the asthmatic population with the severest disease(3) References 1. American Lung Association. Trends in Asthma Morbidity and Morality. 2007 www.lungusa.org 2. Morbidity & Mortality: 2007 Chart Book on cardiovascular, lung and blood diseases produced by National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute 3. P.J. Barnes, B. Johnson, J.B. Klim. The Costs of Asthma. Eur Respir J 1996 9, 636-642 This information is provided by RNS The company news service from the London Stock Exchange