CellCiphr(TM) Toxicity Panels Revalidated by Cyprotex

By Cyprotex Plc, PRNE
Monday, December 6, 2010

MACCLESFIELD, England, December 7, 2010 - Cyprotex (LSE:CRX), the preclinical ADME Tox services company, announces
the successful cross validation of the CellCiphr(TM) cytotoxicity panels and
their official relaunch as a Cyprotex service. These panels detect
toxicological markers in a range of cell models (HepG2, primary hepatocytes,
and cardiomyocytes). This cross validation follows the acquisition of the
CellCiphr(TM) technology from Cellumen, Inc., in August 2010 and its transfer
from Cellumen's laboratory to Cyprotex's laboratories.

Cyprotex achieved the cross validation by assessing marketed drugs with
known toxicities, and through the participation of a major pharmaceutical
company that was an existing client of both Cyprotex and of Cellumen.

Confirming the success of the cross validation, this client has resumed
using CellCiphr(TM) to identify potential toxicities in its pipeline of drug
candidates. In addition, three other clients have also resumed using
CellCiphr(TM). These include two major pharmaceutical companies and the US
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), where CellCiphr(TM) has been selected
for Phase II participation in the ToxCast(TM) programme. In addition, a
fifth, new client has completed its first CellCiphr(TM) study.

The CellCiphr(TM) technology Cyprotex acquired from Cellumen applies High
Content Screening (HCS) technology to cellular models of disease and
toxicity. The technology uses a proprietary advanced informatics and data
interpretation platform to assess cytotoxicity to improve prediction of in
vivo toxicity. The CellCiphr(TM) technology is an extensively validated
approach that was co-developed with the participation of eight external
pharmaceutical and government partners. The CellCiphr(TM) toxicity profiling
panels can reliably identify toxic compounds before entering further
preclinical testing.

Drug development failures due to toxicity are a major financial burden to
the pharmaceutical industry. These failures are increasingly occurring both
in costly late-stage development and, worse, after commercialisation.
Identifying potential toxic liabilities at an early stage significantly
reduces both the cost of drug development and the need for animal testing.

Commenting on the CellCiphr(TM) technology, Dr Katya Tsaioun, Cyprotex's
Chief Scientific Officer, said: 'Cyprotex's CellCiphr(TM) technology has been
validated by major pharmaceutical companies and selected for use in the EPA's
ToxCast(TM), programme as one of the core technologies in the National
Toxicology Program. Our re-validation of this technology is a major milestone
in Cyprotex's entry into the in vitro toxicology market that began in August
with the acquisition of Apredica in the US, followed by the opening of our
new UK toxicology laboratory'.

Dr. Tony Baxter, Cyprotex's Chief Executive Officer, commented:
'Approximately 25% of all spending on drug development is spent on the
clinical trials of drugs that fail in those trials due to toxicity. This cost
is now the largest source of economic inefficiency in drug development.
Looking back, in 1995, 40% of clinical trial failures were due to ADME. But
since the adoption of preclinical in vitro ADME, that figure is now below
10%. Cyprotex is at the forefront of applying in vitro technologies to the
drug safety problem. Just as Cyprotex's in silico and in vitro ADME services
were at the forefront of reducing inefficiencies due to ADME, the Company is
now at the forefront of applying the same technologies to the growing problem
of toxicity'.

Notes to Editors:

Cyprotex PLC

Cyprotex is the world's largest contract research organisation (CRO)
specialising in ADME Tox, which is the analysis of the Absorption,
Distribution, Metabolism, Excretion and Toxicity properties of potential
drugs, cosmetics, and agrochemicals. It is the only company in the world with
in-house capabilities for both in vitro (test tube) and in silico (computer
modelling) ADME Tox. Cyprotex was founded in 1999 and listed on the AIM in
2002. It has laboratories in Macclesfield, Cheshire, UK (near Manchester),
and Watertown, Massachusetts, USA (near Boston), making it one of only three
ADME Tox CROs with international operations.

www.cyprotex.com

    Enquiries:

    Cyprotex PLC                                   Tel: +44(0)1625-505-100

    Dr Anthony Baxter, Chief Executive Officer
    John Dootson, Chief Financial Officer
    Mark Warburton, Chief Operating Officer and
    Legal Counsel
    ir@cyprotex.com                                www.cyprotex.com

    Singer Capital Markets Limited                 Tel: +44(0)20-3205-7500
    (broker to Cyprotex)
    Shaun Dobson    shaun.dobson@singercm.com
    Claes Spang     claes.spang@singercm.com       www.singercm.com

    Financial Dynamics                             Tel: +44(0)20-7831-3113

    Ben Brewerton
    Ben Atwell
    Mo Noonan
    cyprotex@fd.com                                www.fd.com

Enquiries: Cyprotex PLC, Tel: +44(0)1625-505-100, Dr Anthony Baxter, Chief Executive Officer, John Dootson, Chief Financial Officer, Mark Warburton, Chief Operating Officer and Legal Counsel ir at cyprotex.com . Singer Capital Markets Limited, (broker to Cyprotex) - Tel: +44(0)20-3205-7500, Shaun Dobson, shaun.dobson at singercm.com ; Claes Spang, claes.spang at singercm.com . Financial Dynamics - Tel: +44(0)20-7831-3113, Ben Brewerton, Ben Atwell, Mo Noonan, cyprotex at fd.com .

Health Care / Hospitals News

December 7 News

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