New Agreement

Evolutec Group PLC 28 February 2005 For immediate release 28 February 2005 EVOLUTEC GROUP PLC ('Evolutec' or 'the Company') Agreement signed with Cambrex to develop a commercial manufacturing process for rEV131 Evolutec Group plc (AIM: EVC), a biopharmaceutical company engaged in developing novel products for the treatment of allergic, inflammatory and autoimmune diseases, is pleased to announce that it has signed an agreement with Cambrex Bio Science Baltimore, Inc. ('Cambrex') to manufacture rEV131, Evolutec's lead compound, for Phase III clinical trials and planned marketing. rEV131 has been manufactured to date according to Good Laboratory Practice (GLP) standards for the Phase II clinical trials planned for 2005 in allergic rhinitis and post-operative cataract surgery. The current GLP process produces good yields of rEV131. The agreement with Cambrex covers process development work, during which Cambrex will develop a robust, scaleable, current Good Manufacturing Practice (cGMP) process for purified rEV131, with the goal of optimising the process yield. The agreement then provides for Cambrex to scale-up the cGMP process. Mark Carnegie Brown, Evolutec's Chief Executive, said: 'This agreement, with a market leader, represents a significant endorsement of Evolutec's core asset rEV131 and serves to support planned clinical trials and marketing.' Steven Klosk, Chief Operating Officer, Cambrex Biopharma business, commented: ' We are pleased that Evolutec has selected Cambrex for the manufacture of their lead compound rEV131. Our extensive experience developing scaleable processes and dedication to quality will be key features of the project's success. We look forward to working on this exciting new therapeutic.' ENDS For further information: Evolutec 01865 784070 Mark Carnegie Brown, Chief Executive Officer Nicholas Badman, Chief Financial Officer www.evolutec.co.uk Cambrex +1 201 804 3062 Anne-Marie Hess, Director Investor Relations annemarie.hess@cambrex.com and Corporate Communications 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 autoimmune 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 pre-clinical 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 two further products in pre-clinical development: rEV598, which is being evaluated in carcinoid syndrome and CINV (chemotherapy-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. About Cambrex Bio Science Baltimore Cambrex Bio Science Baltimore, Inc., a subsidiary of Cambrex Corporation (NYSE: CBM), is a contract manufacturer of bulk biopharmaceuticals. The company provides pre-clinical, Phase I to III and commercial-scale production of biopharmaceutical vaccines and therapeutics. Projects are taken from process development through manufacturing and long-term supply. The Company has extensive experience in scale-up and commercial production of recombinant proteins, vaccines and plasmid DNA. Ancillary services include formulation development, stability studies, process and analytical validation and regulatory support. For more information, go to www.cambrex.com/biopharma. Cambrex Corporation is a global, diversified life science company dedicated to providing high quality products and services that accelerate the development and commercialization of human therapeutics. The Company employs approximately 1900 worldwide. For more information, please visit our website at http:// www.cambrex.com. 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. This information is provided by RNS The company news service from the London Stock Exchange
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