RNS Number:5065U
Cyprotex PLC
22 January 2004



Press Release                                                   22 January 2004



      Cyprotex provides support to drug discovery projects at AstraZeneca

Cyprotex (LSE: CRX) today announces a new agreement with AstraZeneca to provide
essential information on compounds from their drug discovery projects.

The agreement will make use of Cyprotex's Cloe ScreenTM in vitro technology
which cost-effectively profiles new compounds for a variety of properties that
affect their ability to be processed by the body.  Cyprotex will deliver data
regarding the potential absorption of AstraZeneca's compounds through the gut -
essential information to assess their suitability as drugs that will be
administered in pill form.  The assay is performed on batches of up to 94
compounds at a time to deliver information on the amount of compound that
permeates through the gut wall, whether it is pumped back in again and
classification of the compounds into high, medium or low permeability.  This is
useful information for prioritising the best compounds to promote through the
next stages of drug development - saving time and money by enabling an early
focus on compounds with the greatest potential to succeed as drugs.

AstraZeneca selected Cyprotex following a series of focussed evaluations of
Cyprotex's technology.  Ongoing work will involve analysis of monthly batches of
compounds over a six-month period.  Cyprotex already supports drug discovery
projects at AstraZeneca's Molndal site in Sweden.

Robert Atwater, Cyprotex Chief Executive Officer, commented: "We are pleased to
be expanding our relationship with AstraZeneca to support additional therapeutic
areas at different sites within the organization.  It is a great a tribute to
the calibre of our scientific team and our technology to have been selected by
AstraZeneca to supply this important information on their discovery compounds."


                                    - Ends -


For further information:
Cyprotex PLC
Robert Morrisson Atwater, Chief Executive Officer      Tel: +44 (0) 1625 505 100
rmatwater@cyprotex.com                                          www.cyprotex.com



Media enquiries:
Bankside
Henry Harrison-Topham / Heather Salmond                Tel: +44 (0) 20 7444 4141
heather.salmond@bankside.com                                    www.bankside.com



Notes to editors:

Cyprotex PLC - www.cyprotex.com

Cyprotex is a specialist provider of pharmacokinetic information and technology
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 or 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 unique 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 is listed on the London Stock
Exchange (CRX).



AstraZeneca - www.AstraZeneca.com

AstraZeneca is a major international healthcare business engaged in the
research, development, manufacture and marketing of prescription pharmaceuticals
and the supply of healthcare services.  It is one of the top five pharmaceutical
companies in the world with healthcare sales of over $17.8 billion and leading
positions in sales of gastrointestinal, oncology, cardiovascular, neuroscience
and respiratory products.  AstraZeneca is listed in the Dow Jones Sustainability
Index (Global and European) as well as the FTSE4Good Index.  For more
information, please visit www.astrazenecapressoffice.com





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