Start of ICVT Phase II Study

RNS Number:4475U
Henderson Morley PLC
21 January 2004


Henderson Morley PLC

21 January 2004


HENDERSON MORLEY RECEIVES APPROVAL TO START ICVT PHASE II STUDY IN THE US

The Board of Henderson Morley Plc ("Henderson Morley" or "the Company"), the
drug discovery company, announces Ethics Committee approval has been received to
start an Ionic Contra-viral therapy ("ICVT") Phase II study in the United States
of America.

The study, which is being conducted by Dr Marcus Conant, MD, will examine the
safety and effectiveness of ICVT in the treatment of sub-ungual warts.
Sub-ungual warts are warts under a finger or toenail caused by the human
papillomavirus.

The study, which will be single centre, *open label, has been approved by the
Western International Review Board ("WIRB") under Protocol No. 20031523. The
study has been initiated by Dr Conant and will not be sponsored by Henderson
Morley Plc.

Human papillomavirus infection causes a wide spectrum of disease, ranging from
the cosmetically unpleasant, simple or planar wart, to the potentially serious
dysplasias of the anogenital tract which may lead to cancers of the cervix and
vulva in women (which is globally the second most common cancer in women).

Although sub-ungual warts are not particularly common, they present a difficult
therapeutic challenge, often proving resistant to all currently available forms
of treatment, such as chemical ablation or laser surgery. Patients may therefore
remain infected by these unsightly lesions for many years. Human Papillomavirus
virions infect the basal epithelium after gaining access through microscopic
lacerations, which under the nail bed precludes easy access to existing
therapeutic strategies. Due to the keratolytic effects and high thermodynamic
potential of the formulation to be studied, it is anticipated this hurdle will
be overcome.

A successful outcome of this study will have important implications for the
treatment of other forms of papillomavirus infection that are generally
considered less difficult to treat.

Ends

Enquiries:
HENDERSON MORLEY PLC                              Tel: [phone]
Andrew Knight, Chairman

BREWIN DOLPHIN SECURITIES LTD                     Tel: [phone]
Neil Baldwin

BISHOPSGATE COMMUNICATIONS LTD                    Tel: [phone]
Maxine Barnes
Dominic Barretto

Copies of this announcement will be available free of charge to the public at
the Company's registered office at Metropolitan House, 2 Salisbury Road,
Moseley, Birmingham, B13 8JS and at the offices of Brewin Dolphin Securities
Ltd, 34 Lisbon Street, Leeds LS1 4LX for 14 days.


Notes to Editors

*.Open label studies are when the patient and the doctor treating them are both
aware of the drugs being used in the study.

About Human Papilloma Virus (HPV) infections
HPV is the name given to a group of more than 80 different strains of virus
associated with a variety of epidermal warts and skin lesions, some of which are
associated with cancer. Low risk sub types (type 6 and 11) are associated with
genital warts, but high risk subtypes (type 16 and 18) cause cancer of the
cervix and anus, and also cause dysplasias of anogenital tissues.




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