Vernalis : licenses proprietary adenosine receptor antagonist technology, including lead compound V81444, for, development and commercialisation

26 February 2015
LSE: VER

Vernalis plc today announces that it has licensed exclusive, worldwide rights in its adenosine receptor antagonist programme, including the lead drug candidate, V81444, for use in all therapeutic applications to a well-funded, US-based biotechnology company. The transaction includes a $1 million upfront payment and has the potential for Vernalis to earn over $200 million subject to development, regulatory and sales milestones being achieved. In addition there are single digit royalties payable if a product reaches the market, with the potential to reach double digit royalties in certain circumstances.

The licensing party is a private US company, that has raised a large Series A round with leading venture capital investors, and brings a management team with a wealth of clinical and commercial expertise and experience to this programme.

V81444 is a patented molecule that has been evaluated in phase I and II clinical trials under an IND in the US. Its initial development was focused on ADHD and other neurological diseases.

Commenting on the new relationship, Ian Garland, CEO of Vernalis said "We are delighted to have secured an ideal partner for V81444 and our adenosine receptor antagonist programme and look forward to the development of V81444 and this interesting class of compounds for the potential benefit of patients worldwide."

-- ends -

Enquiries:

Notes to Editors

About Vernalis
Vernalis is a revenue generating development stage pharmaceutical company with significant expertise in drug development. The Group has one marketed product, frovatriptan for the acute treatment of migraine, an exclusive licensing agreement to develop and commercialise multiple novel products focussed on the US prescription cough cold market as well as seven programmes in its NCE development pipeline. Vernalis has also significant expertise in fragment and structure based drug discovery which it leverages to enter into collaborations with larger pharmaceutical companies. The Company's technologies, capabilities and products have been endorsed over the last five years by collaborations with leading pharmaceutical companies, including AKP, Biogen Idec, Endo, GSK, Genentech, Lundbeck, Menarini, Novartis, Servier and Tris.

Vernalis Forward-Looking Statement
This news release may contain forward-looking statements that reflect the Company's current expectations regarding future events including the clinical development and regulatory clearance of the Company's products, the Company's ability to find partners for the development and commercialisation of its products, as well as the Company's future capital raising activities. 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 ability of the Company to identify and agree beneficial terms with suitable partners for the commercialisation and/or development of its products, as well as the achievement of expected synergies from such transactions, the acceptance of frovatriptan and other products by consumers and medical professionals, 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.