VOX Vox Valor Capital Limited

RNS Number:9641U
VASTox plc
17 April 2007

                                   VASTox plc
                          ("VASTox" or "the Company")



VASTox GRANTED KEY EUROPEAN PATENT TO CONSOLIDATE MARKET DOMINANCE IN ZEBRAFISH
                               CHEMICAL GENOMICS



Oxford, UK, 17 April 2007 - VASTox plc (AIM: VOX) today announced that the
European Patent Office has granted a patent (EP1644733/Screening Methods
Employing the Zebrafish and the Blood Brain Barrier), which significantly
increases the value of the Company's zebrafish disease modelling and chemical
genomics technology platform, and provides protection against other
organisations using similar technology. This patent has also been filed in other
territories including the US, Japan and Australia. VASTox has an extensive
patent estate protecting the Company's zebrafish technology platform with over
15 patents either granted or filed and under examination in the world's major
territories.



The zebrafish is an extremely valuable drug discovery model due to significant
genetic similarities with humans, including conservation of vital organs, and it
provides invaluable in vivo safety and efficacy data from the earliest stages of
the drug discovery process. The blood brain barrier ('BBB') has important
considerations in the development of new therapeutics and is a major cause of
neurological drug candidates failing in clinical trials as they cannot penetrate
this protective layer of blood vessels surrounding the brain. This new patent
indicates the existence of a functional BBB in zebrafish and allows VASTox to
use this important physiological feature for the discovery and development of
new medicines.



VASTox is the dominant global force in zebrafish chemical genomics and has an
unrivalled zebrafish technology platform. In addition to this patent, the
Company has sought to further protect its unique technology and the use of
zebrafish within drug discovery through the filing of a number of additional
patents that cover the world's major pharmaceutical markets. VASTox also has a
number of proprietary drug discovery programmes using zebrafish models in the
development of new medicines.



Steven Lee, PhD, CEO, commented: "The granting of this patent consolidates
VASTox's position as the world's dominant player in the use of zebrafish to
discover and develop new medicines. This represents another step towards the
Company benefiting from the pharmaceutical industry's increasing adoption of our
technology."



                                    - ends -



For more information, please contact:


VASTox
Steven Lee, PhD, Chief Executive Officer                       Tel: +44 (0)1235 443951
Darren Millington, Chief Financial Officer


Citigate Dewe Rogerson
Mark Swallow / David Dible / Valerie Auffray                   Tel: +44 (0)207 638 9571


Notes for Editors



Blood Brain Barrier



The blood brain barrier ('BBB') consists of tightly packed blood vessels
surrounding the brain and is present in all mammals. This barrier acts as a
protective layer as it blocks the passage of most chemicals into the brain and
99% of drugs are unable to penetrate the BBB, a major cause of neurological drug
failure.



This patent provides evidence for the existence of a BBB in zebrafish and its
relevance in drug discovery to give VASTox protection for using zebrafish when
screening potential drugs for neurological and ophthalmic effects, two areas of
expertise for the Company.



About VASTox plc



VASTox is a leading UK biotechnology company that discovers and develops
proprietary new drugs. The Company's internal drug development programmes are
underpinned by its advanced chemistry and drug screening (chemical genomics)
technology platforms, which it also provides on a collaborative or
fee-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 diseases
with 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 in
both medicinal and carbohydrate chemistry with high-volume, high-content
screening using its proprietary zebrafish and fruitfly technologies (chemical
genomics). These whole organism screens have the potential to dramatically
decrease the time and cost of drug discovery and development by delivering data
that are highly predictive of the efficacy and toxicity of potential drug
compounds in humans.



The company listed on the AIM market of the London Stock Exchange in October
2004 - symbol: VOX



Further information about the company is available at www.vastox.com



This document contains "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the
U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking
statements can be identified by words such as "anticipates", "intends", "plans",
"seeks", "believes", "estimates", "expects" and similar references to future
periods, or by the inclusion of forecasts or projections.



Forward-looking statements are based on the Company's current expectations and
assumptions regarding our business, the economy and other future conditions.
Because forward-looking statements relate to the future, by their nature, they
are subject to inherent uncertainties, risks and changes in circumstances that
are difficult to predict. The Company's actual results may differ materially
from those contemplated by the forward-looking statements. The Company cautions
you therefore that you should not rely on any of these forward-looking
statements as statements of historical fact or as guarantees or assurances of
future performance. Important factors that could cause actual results to differ
materially from those in the forward-looking statements 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
END

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