Agreement with AstraZeneca

RNS Number:0790I
Cyprotex PLC
28 February 2003


Press Release                                                  28 February 2003


           AstraZeneca selects Cyprotex for drug discovery support



Cyprotex (LSE: CRX) today announces that it has entered into an agreement with
AstraZeneca AB (LSE: AZN) to provide drug discovery support.



Under the terms of the agreement, Cyprotex will investigate one of the key
properties of potential drugs that determines the dose needed to elicit a
therapeutic effect when given to a patient. This laboratory-based assay will be
performed on compounds from AstraZeneca's early drug discovery projects and is
one of a number of different technologies that Cyprotex uses to help partners
evaluate and optimise the drug-like properties of candidate drugs.



Commenting on the agreement with AstraZeneca, David Leahy, Chief Scientific
Officer of Cyprotex said: "We have established a powerful combination of
experimental and computational approaches for the early evaluation of compounds
in drug discovery. This deal with AstraZeneca, a leading pharmaceutical company,
further validates our developing science and technology platform."



Anders Tunek, Director of DMPK and Bioanalytical Chemistry at AstraZeneca R&D
Molndal, Sweden, said: "Cyprotex has presented a way for us to gain high quality
data on our compounds with flexibility to meet our changing needs. We are very
impressed by the capabilities that Cyprotex have developed and are looking
forward to a close and productive collaboration."



                                    - Ends -





For further information:
Cyprotex PLC
Dr David Leahy, Chief Scientific Officer               Tel: [phone]
[e-mail]                                            www.cyprotex.com


AstraZeneca R&D Molndal
Dr Anders Tunek                                            Tel: [phone]
Director of DMPK and Bioanalytical Chemistry
[e-mail]                                 www.astrazeneca.com


Media enquiries:
Bankside
Henry Harrison-Topham/ Heather Salmond                 Tel: [phone]
[e-mail]                                           www.bankside.com





Notes to editors:



Cyprotex PLC - www.cyprotex.com

Cyprotex is a specialist provider of technology and information to evaluate and
optimise key properties of potential drugs that determine how well they will be
absorbed, distributed, metabolised and excreted by the body. This provides
pharmaceutical partners with a sound basis for decision-making regarding
compound selection and design that takes into account how the compound will
behave in the body. Cyprotex predicts the likely outcome of administering either
orally and intravenously-administered compounds by modelling human and rat
physiology. Predictions require basic compound information that can be derived
in the laboratory using established methods, all of which are routinely
performed by Cyprotex's experimental capability. This combination of
technologies is aimed at improving pharmaceutical productivity by improving the
quality of compound libraries and drug candidates progressing through the drug
pipeline. Cyprotex is based in the UK and listed on the London Stock Exchange
(CRX).



AstraZeneca - www.astrazeneca.com is a major international healthcare business
engaged in the research, development, manufacture and marketing of prescriptions
pharmaceuticals and the supply of healthcare services. It is one of the top five
pharmaceutical companies with 2002-year sales of $17.8 billion and leading
positions in sales of gastrointestinal, oncology, anesthesia including pain
management, cardiovascular, central nervous system (CNS) and respiratory
products




                      This information is provided by RNS
            The company news service from the London Stock Exchange
END

AGRPUURCPUPWGCM