Director/PDMR Shareholding

RNS Number : 0110Z
ValiRx PLC
14 July 2008
 




ValiRx plc


Directors' shareholdings


14 July 2008London. ValiRx plc (AIM:VAL, 'ValiRx') the cancer therapeutics and diagnostics company, announces Dr Satu Vainikka and Gerry Desler, both directors of the Company, have today purchased the following ordinary shares of 6p each in the Company ('Ordinary Shares') at 6p per share:


Director

Ordinary Shares purchased

New shareholding

Percentage shareholding

Dr Satu Vainikka

16,667

3,861,507

7.29%

Gerry Desler

83,333

83,333

0.16%



Enquiries: 

ValiRx plc

Tel: +44 (0) 20 3008 4416

Dr. Satu Vainikka


WH Ireland Limited - Nominated Adviser

Tel: +44 (0) 161 832 2174

David Youngman / Adrian Kirk


College Hill 

Tel: +44 (0) 20 7457 2020

Adrian Duffield/Justine Lamond

valirx@collegehill.com 


Notes to Editors


About ValiRx - www.valirx.com

ValiRx plc (AIM:VAL, 'ValiRx') is a cancer therapeutics and diagnostics company headquartered in London, England and admitted to AIM in October 2006. The Company operates through two subsidiaries, ValiPharma (formerly trading as Cronos Therapeutics) (www.valipharma.com), a UK-based epigenetic drug discovery and development business and ValiBio SA (www.valibio.com), a Belgium-based oncology diagnostics operation.


Therapeutics - ValiPharma 

ValiRx utilises a cells own inherent gene control machinery to silence genes involved in cancer cell progression, effectively 'switching off' genes involved in certain forms of cancer through its platform technology GeneICE™ (Gene Inactivation by Chromatin Engineering),. GeneICE works through the recruitment of silencing complexes known as Histone Deacetylase Complexes (HDACs) to target genes involved in cancer. ValiRx's lead product VAL 101 targets the anti-apoptotic gene BCL-2 which is over expressed in many cancers including in pancreatic cancer. The Company has also recently expanded its pre-clinical portfolio to include VAL 201 in prostate cancer.


Gene silencing technology platform potentially represents an innovative and ground breaking new approach to cancer treatment as it allows for the development of targeted, personalised medicine and treatment for patients. GeneICE is also applicable to a wide variety of other genetic disorders such as in the fields of neurology and inflammatory diseases. 


Diagnostics - ValiBio

ValiRx currently has two epigenetic diagnosis products - HyperGenomicsTM, a method for the detection and identification of hypersensitive sites in cells and NucleosomicsTM, a non-invasive (blood) test for early cancer diagnosis based on epigenetic signal changes associated with malignancy - which it licences to its subsidiary, ValiBio.


Epigenetics

Epigenetics is the study and manipulation of regulatory factors which regulate and determine gene expression. 


Unlike mutations which occur in DNA, epigenetic changes are reversible. The 'epigenetic' modification of the genome may take many forms, such as addition of external chemical groups for example methylation, acetylation and ubiquitination on to histone proteins associated with DNA. 


Research currently suggests the de-regulation of normal epigenetic control mechanisms is implicated in the development and progression of certain cancersHence, compounds which specifically target and reverse these changes are attractive and potentially powerful candidates for future therapeutic approaches to cancer.


Personalised medicine

Personalised medicine refers to tailoring treatment strategies to work differently in different individuals, dependant upon such factors such as their genetic profile, epigenetic profile, environment and the presence of other diseases in the individual.




This information is provided by RNS
The company news service from the London Stock Exchange
 
END
 
 
RDSBXGDRDDBGGIS

Companies

Valirx (VAL)
UK 100

Latest directors dealings