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11/08/2009

Antisoma and Bryan Oncor announce deal for anti-cancer drug P2045

11 August 2009 - London, UK, Cambridge, MA, and Somerville, MA: Antisoma plc (LSE: ASM; USOTC: ATSMY) and Bryan Oncor, Inc., a privately held US biotechnology company, announce the assignment to Bryan Oncor of all rights to P2045, a novel radiolabelled somatostatin analogue that has completed a phase I trial in
non-small cell lung cancer. P2045 had been added to Antisoma's portfolio through the acquisition of Xanthus Pharmaceuticals, Inc. in June 2008.

P2045 co-inventor and former Antisoma scientist Dr. John Lister James will continue with the clinical development of P2045 as Chief Technology Officer at Bryan Oncor.

Glyn Edwards, Antisoma's CEO, said: "We are pleased that Bryan Oncor will be taking P2045 forward, building on promising initial data from a phase I trial. We believe that successful development of this product is best achieved by a company like Bryan Oncor that has specialist expertise in radiolabelled pharmaceuticals."

Chris Adams, CEO of Bryan Oncor, Inc, said: "As an early stage company Bryan Oncor will focus its efforts on developing this potentially important cancer therapeutic. There is a significant medical need for drugs to treat lung cancer".

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Background on P2045
P2O45 is a radiopharmaceutical that comprises a high-affinity somatostatin receptor binding peptide and the high-energy beta-emitting radionuclide rhenium-188 and has been shown to be effective in cancer animal models and was well tolerated by patients in a phase I clinical study.

Background on Antisoma
Antisoma is a London Stock Exchange-listed biopharmaceutical company that develops novel products for the treatment of cancer. The Company has operations in the UK and the US. Please visit www.antisoma.com for further information about Antisoma.

Background on Bryan Oncor, Inc.
Bryan Oncor is an early stage Massachusetts based biopharmaceutical company focused on the development of oncology therapeutics.