HIV Research Milestone

RNS Number:5297P
BioFocus PLC
09 September 2003


For Immediate Release                                          9 September 2003



                 BIOFOCUS AND AXXIMA ACHIEVE RESEARCH MILESTONE


Chesterford Research Park, UK and Munich, Germany, 9th September, 2003 -
BioFocus plc (AIM: BIO), a world leader in collaborative drug discovery, and
Axxima Pharmaceuticals AG, a private drug discovery and development company
leading the field of pathogen-host signal transduction, today announced they
have achieved a research milestone in the fight against HIV.

In the collaboration, which started in July 2002, BioFocus and Axxima scientists
have successfully developed assays for targets implicated in HIV and identified
lead compounds active against one of Axxima's kinase targets.  These leads
originated from BioFocus' SoftFocusTM kinase-directed compound collection.  The
milestone was triggered by Axxima's acceptance of the compounds identified in
the collaboration and its decision to pursue a programme of lead optimization
with BioFocus.  The goal of the collaboration is to generate pre-clinical
anti-HIV candidates on which Axxima can perform further development.

Achievement of this key research milestone will result in a cash payment to
BioFocus.  BioFocus is also entitled to receive ongoing research fees, interim
success-based milestones and royalties following commercialization of any
products.

Geoff McMillan, BioFocus' Chief Executive, said, "This achievement is a further
important indication that our abilities as an integrated drug discovery business
can yield downstream returns. We now have 28 individual programmes in which we
retain a downstream interest and we expect to see further demonstrations of the
productivity of this pipeline and our unique approach to the discovery of
innovative therapeutics.  We are very impressed by Axxima's unique approach and
strong kinase expertise."

Dr. Rainer Wessel, President & CEO of Axxima, added, "We are very excited about
the results emerging from our collaboration with BioFocus. The combination of
BioFocus' tailor-made kinase inhibitor libraries and  in-house chemistry
expertise, together with our strong kinase related technologies, resulted in the
identification of a novel kinase inhibitor class with a good potential for
further lead optimization."



About BioFocus

BioFocus is a leading drug discovery company working in partnership with major
pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies.  Additionally it is developing a
portfolio of internal drug discovery programmes aimed at providing drug leads
for partnering.  The company was founded in 1997 and is quoted on the
Alternative Investment Market of the London Stock Exchange.  BioFocus works with
a wide range of global clients and in 2002 provided services and/or products to
22 leading pharmaceutical companies.



About Axxima

Axxima(R) Pharmaceuticals AG is a drug discovery and development company,
pioneering the revolutionary approach of generating a "Signal Transduction
Firewall(R)" to combat infections, and related diseases, such as inflammation.
The most advanced projects include HIV, hepatitis C, tuberculosis and HCMV. By
blocking critical signal transduction pathways required by pathogens for their
survival, Axxima's compounds address entirely novel mechanisms for fighting
resistance formation. Whereas the goal of conventional medications is to target
the disease causing pathogen directly, the new generation of drugs developed by
Axxima will prevent the pathogen from hijacking the communication system of the
cell.

In three private financing rounds, Axxima has received a total of 54 million
Euro from German and international investors. The Company currently employs a
total staff of 90, located at Axxima's headquarters in Munich, Germany, and at
its Hungarian subsidiary Vichem Kft. in Budapest. Further information about
Axxima can be found at www.axxima.com.




For further information:

BioFocus                                                          [phone]
Geoff McMillan, Chief Executive
John Kamins, Vice President Business Development & Marketing

Buchanan Communications                                           [phone]
Rebecca Skye Dietrich

Axxima
Rainer Wessel, President & CEO                                    [phone]
Arnd Prilipp, Manager Corporate Communications                    [phone]




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