RioTech

<body> <p class="MsoNormal" align="center"><img border="0" src="images/riotech_logo.gif" width="179" height="141"></p> <p class="MsoNormal" align="center"><span style="font-size:24.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size:10.0pt"><font face="Arial"><b>RIOTECH PHARMACEUTICALS LIMITED</b></font></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" align="left"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal"><b>Company Information<br> </b>RioTech is a spin-out company which is developing novel therapeutics from intellectual property around Hepatitis C virus infection. The founders are Professor Howard Thomas, Dr Mark Thursz, Dr Peter Karayiannis and Professor Graham Foster (now based at Queen Mary & Westfield College) from Imperial College and Professor Adrian Hill from Oxford University. RioTech was seed funded with £250,000 from the Imperial based University Challenge Seed Fund in 2003.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><br> <b>The Hepatitis C Market<br> </b>RioTech specialises in technologies for the treatment of Hepatitis C. The Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infects over 170 million people worldwide of whom 15 million live in target markets. The HCV market is currently worth over $2 billion per year and is expected to rise to over $7 billion by 2007. Current treatment for HCV infection uses combinations of interferon and Ribavirin. These drugs result in viral elimination in just over 50% of patients with poorer results for the dominant (genotype 1) strain of the virus. As therapy is suboptimal and only partially effective, there is a significant unmet clinical need in this lucrative market.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><b>Technology<br> </b>RioTech is developing technology in three areas of Hepatitis C therapeutics:</p> <ul> <li> <p class="MsoNormal">A significantly more potent interferon</li> <li> <p class="MsoNormal">A small molecule to amplify the anti-viral effects of interferon in infected cells</li> <li> <p class="MsoNormal">A small molecule to directly inhibit viral replication</li> </ul> <p class="MsoNormal">RioTech holds a granted patent on interferon a8 which has more potent anti-viral properties than other natural interferons and also drives anti-viral immune responses more efficiently than other interferons. These two attributes make interferon alpha 8 the optimal interferon for use against a persistent viral infection such as HCV.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">Riotech has identified an enzyme that when inhibited, amplifies the effect of interferon specifically in virus infected cells. Patents have been applied for relating to this therapeutic target. In addition, RioTech has developed a screening assay to identify inhibitors of this enzyme.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">RioTech has chosen an essential component of HCV that does not vary significantly. It is therefore unlikely that sequence variation leading to anti-viral resistance will occur in the same way as it does for other HCV targets. RioTech has developed an advanced screening assay to identify inhibitors to this chosen target.</p> <p><b>Strategy</b><br> RioTech will develop each of these technologies in-house using its expertise in Hepatitis C up to the point where they attract licensing deals with major pharmaceutical companies or larger biotechnology companies. This out-licensing focussed strategy is underpinned by the publicly declared interest in Hepatitis C therapeutics from many major pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies.</p> <p><b>Management Board & Facilities<br> </b>RioTech is operated by Dr Robert Feldman, CEO, and Dr Mark Thursz CSO. Dr Feldman is a successful clinical scientist and biotech entrepreneur who has previously founded Microscience and Vmax. Dr Thursz is a practicing hepatologist who runs a successful hepatitis research group within Imperial College. RioTech's board is complemented by Dr Caroline Vaughan, one of the founder directors of Celltech, who also has venture capital experience and Professor Howard Thomas who brings an international reputation in the hepatitis field.</p> <p>RioTech operates as a virtual company based at Imperial College, St Mary’s Campus in Central London. This represents a highly cost efficient approach with no unnecessary outlay required for infrastructure.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1; mso-bidi-font-weight: normal"><b>Contact Details</b></span></p> <table border="0" width="600" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0"> <tr> <td width="50" valign="top"></td> <td width="100" valign="top"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight:normal">WWW:</b> <p><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight:normal">Head Office</b>:</td> <td> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.0cm; margin-left: 0"><a href="http://www.riotechpharma.com/">http://www.riotechpharma.com</a></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.0cm; margin-left: 0">Faculty of Medicine<br> Imperial College<br> St Mary’s Campus<br> Norfolk Place<br> London W2 1NY</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.0cm; margin-left: 0">Tel: +44 (0) 20 7594 3851<br> Fax: +44 (0) 20 7706 9161</td> </tr> </table> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left:6.0cm;text-indent:-6.0cm"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left:6.0cm;text-indent:-6.0cm"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1">                               <img border="0" src="/images/Contacts.gif" width="474" height="104"> </span></p> </body>