Eye Study Results

Evolutec Group PLC
07 December 2004


                                                                                    7 December 2004


                             EVOLUTEC GROUP PLC
                           ('Evolutec' or 'Company')

               EYE STUDY SHOWS rEV131 ON TRACK FOR POST-CATARACT

Evolutec Group plc (AIM: EVC), the biopharmaceutical company developing novel
products for the treatment of allergic, inflammatory and autoimmune diseases,
today announced preclinical results that show a positive effect of its lead
molecule, rEV131, in treatment of inflammation of the eye. Following these
results, the Company plans to launch phase II clinical studies in the US during
2005 using rEV131 in post-cataract surgery.

In the preclinical study, rEV131 demonstrated a dose dependent reduction in an
inflammatory response of the anterior chamber of the eye. The response to rEV131
was numerically superior to placebo and at least as effective as the
corticosteroid prednisolone, which is widely used in the prevention and
treatment of eye inflammation. This preclinical study is believed to relate well
to post-cataract surgery. Cataract surgery is the most frequently performed
surgical procedure in the United States, with more than 1.4 million operations
each year.

The preclinical study was led by Professor Mark Abelson, Senior Clinical
Scientist at Schepens Eye Research Institute, Associate Clinical Professor at
Harvard Medical School and President, Ophthalmic Research Associates, Inc.  All
medications were administered topically to the eye four times a day for three
days prior and two days post challenge.

This result, combined with earlier clinical data on neutrophil mediated
inflammation, suggests that rEV131 has potential utility in a number of eye
inflammatory conditions, including dry eye, severe contact lens associated
inflammation and vernal kerato-conjunctivitis.

Mark Carnegie Brown, Evolutec's Chief Executive Officer, commented: 'This result
adds to Evolutec's confidence in rEV131 as a potential therapy for post-cataract
surgery and represents the first step in Evolutec's development programme for
rEV131 in post-cataract surgery.  Evolutec intends to submit an Investigational
New Drug (IND) application to the FDA and carry out a phase II proof of
principle clinical study in the US during 2005.'

Professor Abelson, Senior Clinical Scientist at Schepens Eye Research Institute
and Associate Clinical Professor Harvard Medical School, said: 'A drug which is
as effective as steroids in post-cataract surgery but which is not associated
with changes in intra-ocular pressure would be a useful addition to existing
therapies.'



ENDS





For further information:


Evolutec                                                           01865 784070
Mark Carnegie Brown, Chief Executive Officer
Nicholas Badman, Chief Financial Officer
www.evolutec.co.uk

Collins Stewart                                                    020 7523 8350
Chris Howard

Buchanan Communications                                            020 7466 5000
Mark Court/Tim Anderson/Mary-Jane Johnson



Notes for Editors:


About Evolutec

Evolutec, which is based in Oxford, UK, is a clinical stage biopharmaceutical
company with a focus on allergy, inflammation and auto-immune diseases.

The Company's lead product, rEV131, is a histamine-binding protein that has
progressed to phase II trials in allergic conjunctivitis, rhinitis and ocular
inflammation. Positive preclinical data has also been generated in asthma.
rEV131 is understood to be the only product currently in clinical trials that
impacts the recently discovered H4 receptor, a receptor implicated in many forms
of inflammatory disease.  The Company intends to carryout proof of concept phase
II clinical trials with rEV131 in allergic rhinitis and post-cataract surgery in
2005.

The Company has a further two products in preclinical development, rEV598 which
is being evaluated in carcinoid syndrome and CINV (chemo-induced nausea and
vomiting), and rEV576, a complement inhibitor.

Evolutec was founded in 1998 to exploit research carried out by the Natural
Environment Research Council.  Evolutec's drugs were first isolated from the
saliva of ticks. The tick remains undetected by its hosts, including humans, by
injecting an array of molecules into the skin that suppresses normal defence
mechanisms.  These stealth molecules have evolved over millions of years to
enable the tick to take a blood meal from its host. Evolutec employs the tick's
evolutionary stealth technology to offer the potential of treating human
diseases.






Safe Harbour statement: this news release may contain forward-looking statements
that reflect the current expectations of the Company regarding future events.
Forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties. Actual events could
differ materially from those projected herein and depend on a number of factors
including the success of the Company's research strategies, the applicability of
the discoveries made therein, the successful and timely completion of clinical
studies, the uncertainties related to the regulatory process, the successful
integration of completed mergers and acquisitions and achievement of expected
synergies from such transactions, and the ability of the Company to identify and
consummate suitable strategic and business combination transactions.




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