Entering Partnering Discussions

Oxford Pharmascience Group plc

 ("Oxford Pharmascience" or the "Company")

Ready to enter partnering discussions on key OXPzeroTM NSAIDs

Oxford Pharmascience, the Company that redevelops medicines to make them better, safer and easier to take, today announces that it has finalised commercial materials to allow the Company to enter partnering discussions for both its OXPzeroTM Ibuprofen and OXPzeroTM Naproxen assets.

The Company reported in November 2015 that it was in the final stages of completing preparation of these commercial discussion materials for the OXPzeroTM Ibuprofen platform. This task has now been completed and, with further technical progress made in recent months across the wider platform, the Board is now pursuing opportunities for commercialisation of both its lead OXPzeroTM Ibuprofen asset and OXPzeroTM Naproxen. Ibuprofen and naproxen are the two dominant NSAID molecules in the pain relief and anti-inflammatory sector, with combined worldwide sales in excess of $5bn per annum.(1)  

OXPzeroTM NSAIDs have been demonstrated to deliver a range of key benefits that offer competitive advantage and meaningful differentiation. Specifically, by comparison with generic oral tablets, OXPzeroTM NSAIDs:

- are milder in the gastrointestinal (GI) tract, delivering major reduction in GI mucosal damage;

- completely mask the bitter taste/burn associated with NSAIDs; and

- deliver an attractive PK profile with adaptable drug release properties.

These characteristics enable multiple advantaged product applications across over-the-counter, pharmacist-only sales and prescription markets. The Company has identified major opportunities in:

- Pain: OXP believes that the GI mildness of the OXPzeroTM products can be capitalised on in order to address the needs of patients exposed to higher risk of GI damage. For example, OXPzeroTM NSAIDs can be widely used in pain management for the over-60s as well as the treatment of chronic or severe pain in other age groups, with reduced GI risks;

- Cough and Cold:  Ibuprofen has inherent advantages in efficacy and duration of effect versus paracetamol, however paracetamol dominates non-tablet forms of cough and cold remedies because of its GI mildness and taste advantages. OXPzeroTM NSAID products enable superior, longer lasting, non-tablet forms versus paracetamol without the inferior GI profile or taste issues associated with standard ibuprofen; and

- Easy-to-take, non-tablet products: formulations of OXPzeroTM products lend themselves to being taken 'on the move'. For example, the technology allows for high dose (200mg/5ml) suspension formulations which are not currently available due to the bitter taste/burn of Ibuprofen at that dose level.

As previously announced, the Company initiated contact in 2015 with a number of large, global pharmaceutical companies with strategic interest in the NSAIDs market. Since announcing completion of proof of concept for OXPzeroTM Ibuprofen in November 2015, the Company has engaged consultants and advisers to support this important phase in its development. These include former senior management from major pharmaceutical companies which represent prospective strategic partners for licensing, high level regulatory support, as well as additional business development resource.

Under advice, the Company has now completed preparation of commercial discussion materials for these OXPzeroTM assets and, with the recent US grant of one of its key patents, Oxford Pharmascience is ready to enter partnering discussions. There can be no certainty that these discussions will lead to a commercial deal in respect of any of the OXPzeroTM assets, or as to the terms on which any such transaction might be agreed. The Company will not comment on speculation regarding these discussions or the terms of a potential transaction.

The Company will continue to work on the OXPzeroTM NSAIDs programs as it enters commercial discussions, focused on enabling registration and approval of selected lead applications. The Company will also continue to advance the development of new programmes in to its pipeline in accordance with the strategy outlined at the time of attracting further funding in June 2015. Progress on this will be informed separately over the coming months.

(1) Evaluate Pharma, at Manufacturers' Selling Prices

For further information:

Oxford Pharmascience Group Plc

Marcelo Bravo, Chief Executive +44 20 7554 5875

N+1 Singer (Nominated Adviser & Broker)

Aubrey Powell/Jen Boorer +44 20 7496 3000

About Oxford Pharmascience Group Plc

Oxford Pharmascience Group Plc uses a range of proprietary technology platforms to re-develop existing medicines to make them better, safer or easier to take. The Company does not manufacture or sell its own pharmaceutical products direct to consumers, but instead seeks to license its technologies and dossiers to a network of partners, mainly leading pharmaceutical companies with Rx (prescription) and OTC (over the counter) branded portfolios. 

Oxford Pharmascience Group Plc focuses on existing medicines that are proven to be safe and effective but nevertheless still have associated issues and side effects often affecting compliance. By working with such medicines, the Company is able to develop new innovative products for a fraction of the cost, in much quicker timescales and without the high risk of failure associated with developing new drugs.