First Awards Made by London Genetics' Proof-of-Concept Fund

LONDON, February 24, 2010 - London Genetics Limited, an expert in the use of pharmacogenetics in
clinical drug discovery and development, has awarded the first three grants
from its proof-of-concept (POC) fund. The awards, to teams at Imperial
College London and University College London, are for research in the areas
of immunotherapy, schizophrenia and heart disease. Financial details were
not disclosed.

The purpose of projects funded by the POC fund is to
illustrate the value the genetic data and resources within LGL's seven
academic founding partners can add to drug discovery and clinical
development. Typical funded projects are expected to involve:

    - Identification of disease genes and/or signalling pathways for use in
      target selection or drug reprofiling; or

    - Characterisation of disease genes or signalling pathways to inform risk
      management strategies, define patient criteria for inclusion in studies
      and stratified clinical study designs; or

    - Identification of potential markers of medicine efficacy and/or safety
      response.

Any intellectual property generated is expected to be retained
by the institution, with a return to London Genetics upon its exploitation.
The company's founding partners are all academic and medical centres with
significant clinical and genetic expertise.

The immunotherapy project will investigate genetic regulation
of production of natural killer cells, which are involved in protection
against diseases from cancer to malaria. The second team will be involved in
identifying and validating gene variants associated with the weight gain that
often occurs in patients taking atypical antipsychotics for the treatment of
schizophrenia. The cardiovascular project will look at drug target validation
by using gene variants as a model of target modification.

Dominique Kleyn, CEO of London Genetics, said, 'We are
delighted to be making these proof-of-concept awards which should provide
further validation of our business model, and highlight our links with
first-class academic teams. The biopharmaceutical industry is realising the
potential of pharmacogenetics in helping it meet the myriad of challenges it
faces, as we discuss in a recent MedNous commentary [1].'

    1. Why Pharmacogenetics is important to Pharma. MedNous January 2010
       Volume 4 No 1 p 3

Notes to Editors:

About London Genetics

London Genetics Limited, a not-for-profit company, is an
expert in the use of pharmacogenetics in clinical drug discovery and
development. Established in 2007 with funding from the London Development
Agency, its seven founding partners are leading London academic and medical
institutions with clinical and genetic expertise and significant patient
resources. The company provides pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies
with access to this expertise and resource, as well as providing strategic
advice on the application of pharmacogenetics for successful drug
development. LGL has broad therapeutic expertise with a focus on
cardiovascular disease and drug side-effects of a cardiovascular nature.
Recent agreements developed by London Genetics include a collaboration
between the International Serious Adverse Events Consortium, St George's
University of London and the Drug Safety Research Unit at Southampton, UK.
The parties are working on genetic markers for drug-induced cardiac
arrhythmia. LGL is based at the Imperial College Incubator in London, and has
ISO 9001 accreditation. For further information, please go to
www.londongeneticslimited.com

About pharmacogenetics

Genetic differences between individuals mean that drug
response rates are often variable across a population, and this has
significant implications for healthcare cost effectiveness. Pharmocogenetics,
the study of the clinical consequences of genetic differences in the way
people metabolise and respond to drugs, is expected to generate better
understanding of how drugs work in the body, and therefore give insight into
how to develop more efficacious and safer drugs. It also has implications for
product life cycle management and the revitalisation of drugs which
previously failed in clinical trials. With drug development costs rising and
R&D productivity falling, plus increased regulator focus on safety and
cost-effectiveness, pharmacogenetics is expected to become increasingly
important in drug development. The FDA and the EMEA have recognised this in
their Critical Path Initiative and Road Map respectively.

    For further information or to meet us at conferences please contact:

    London Genetics Ltd

    Dominique Kleyn, CEO
    +44(0)207-594-1838

    Emma Palmer Foster, Strategic Communications Consultant
    +44(0)7880-787185

    communications@londongenetics.com

London Genetics Ltd, Dominique Kleyn, CEO, +44(0)207-594-1838 ; Emma Palmer Foster, Strategic Communications Consultant, +44(0)7880-787185, communications at londongenetics.com