27th Feb 2006 10:06
Evolutec Group PLC27 February 2006 For immediate release 27 February 2006 EVOLUTEC GROUP PLC ("Evolutec" or "Company") POSITIVE PHARMACOKINETIC PROFILE FOR rEV131 Further details in analyst briefing and webcast of Evolutec's results for the year ended 31 December 2005 to be announced on 28 February 2006 Evolutec Group plc (AIM: EVC), the biopharmaceutical company developing novelproducts for the treatment of allergic, inflammatory and autoimmune diseases, ispleased to announce a positive preclinical metabolic result for its leadmolecule, rEV131. This study demonstrates that rEV131 has a favourable pharmacokinetic profileincluding: • a circulating half-life of approximately 8 hours; • uniform tissue distribution; and • 95 per cent clearance from the body via the renal route within 24 hours. This profile is well suited for a drug intended for use once or twice a day inindications such as allergic rhinitis (hay fever) and asthma. Furthermore, thetrial showed that rEV131 does not cross the blood brain barrier, reducing thepossibility of unwanted effects such as drowsiness. Mark Carnegie Brown, Evolutec's Chief Executive Officer, commented: "This resultunderpins the potential of rEV131, our lead drug product candidate. It alsoendorses Evolutec's technology and approach, which is based around proteinssourced from the saliva of ticks." Further details will be included in a briefing tomorrow for analysts onEvolutec's 2005 results, which will be held at 10.30am (28 February 2006) at theoffices of Buchanan Communications, 45 Moorfields, London EC2Y 9AE. The briefing will also be webcast live. To connect to the webcast, please go tothe Company's website: http://www.evolutec.co.uk approximately 10 minutes(10.20am) before the start of the briefing. The webcast will also be availablefor replay shortly after the presentation. ENDS For further information: Evolutec 0118 922 4480 Mark Carnegie Brown, Chief Executive OfficerNicholas Badman, Chief Financial Officerwww.evolutec.co.uk Buchanan Communications 020 7466 5000 Mark Court/Tim Anderson/Mary-Jane Johnson Notes for Editors: About Evolutec Evolutec is a biopharmaceutical company developing drugs for allergy,inflammation and autoimmune disease. Evolutec's lead drug candidate, rEV131 has efficacy in both acute and chronicrespiratory indications including allergic rhinitis (hay fever) and asthma. In2005, Evolutec announced a positive result for rEV131 in a 112 patient Phase IIaproof of concept study in allergic rhinitis. rEV131 met the primary efficacyendpoint (p < 0.05). In addition, rEV131 showed efficacy against mucus andcongestion, the most difficult to treat symptoms of rhinitis as well as a rapidonset of action. Evolutec intends to carry out additional proof of concept Phase II trials withrEV131 in post-cataract surgery and dry eye. Positive preclinical data has alsobeen generated in asthma. rEV131 is a histamine binding protein and isunderstood to be the only product currently in clinical trials that impacts therecently discovered H4 receptor, a receptor implicated in many forms ofinflammatory disease. The Company has a further two molecules in preclinical development. rEV576, acomplement inhibitor that was very effective in a preclinical model ofmyasthenia gravis, and rEV598, which is being evaluated in carcinoid syndromeand CINV (chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting). Evolutec is working withMerial to develop anti-tick and anti-tick borne disease vaccines. Evolutec, which is based in Reading, UK, was founded in 1998 to exploit researchcarried out by the Natural Environment Research Council. Evolutec's drugs werefirst isolated from the saliva of ticks but are now manufactured by bacterialfermentation procedures. The tick remains undetected by its hosts, includinghumans, by injecting an array of molecules into the skin that suppresses normaldefence mechanisms. These stealth molecules have evolved over millions of yearsto enable the tick to take a blood meal from its host. Evolutec employs thetick's evolutionary stealth technology to offer the potential of treating humandiseases. Safe Harbour statement: this news release may contain forward-looking statementsthat reflect the current expectations of the Company regarding future events.Forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties. Actual events coulddiffer materially from those projected herein and depend on a number of factorsincluding the success of the Company's research strategies, the applicability ofthe discoveries made therein, the successful and timely completion of clinicalstudies, the uncertainties related to the regulatory process, the successfulintegration of completed mergers and acquisitions and achievement of expectedsynergies from such transactions, and the ability of the Company to identify andconsummate suitable strategic and business combination transactions. This information is provided by RNS The company news service from the London Stock ExchangeRelated Shares:
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