VASTox plc
17 January 2007

                                   VASTox plc
                          ("VASTox" or "the Company")



   VASTOX JOINS EUROPEAN RESEARCH CONSORTIUM TO TARGET THE DEVELOPMENT OF 
                           NEW TREATMENTS FOR CANCER



      Research will focus on Cancer Stem Cells as target for new therapies



Oxford, UK, 17 January 2007 - VASTox (AIM: VOX), a leading biotechnology
company, today announced that it has become a partner in a new European
consortium that will undertake research towards developing new treatments for
cancer. The research programme, called Targeting Cancer Stem Cells for Therapy,
will be backed by a Euro2 million grant from the European Commission under the
Sixth Framework Programme.



VASTox will work in partnership with five leading research organisations from
across Europe to develop treatments that target cancer stem cells (CSCs). In
recent years, CSCs have been identified as being an important factor in cancer
due to their ability to both initiate and sustain tumour growth. However, there
is currently no specific treatment that targets CSCs. The consortium's research
will aim to identify the CSCs that cause tumour growth, and thereby generate new
drug targets with the ultimate objective of developing new cancer therapies.



The consortium will be coordinated by the European Molecular Biology Laboratory
(EMBL) Unit in Italy and includes the University of Lund in Sweden, Cancer
Research UK, the UK Medical Research Council, Oxford University and the
University of Copenhagen. Initial research will be focused on two types of
cancer: leukaemia and breast cancer. The grant is spread over three years and
will be split between the consortium members.



VASTox's participation in this research programme will complement its existing
discovery programmes in the areas of cancer and the potential use of stem cells
as regenerative medicines. VASTox's capabilities in these areas will be enhanced
by being involved in this framework programme and will also place the Company at
the forefront of key research into this new and important area of cancer
research.



Steve Lee, PhD, CEO of VASTox commented: "For VASTox to be part of this
consortium represents an exciting opportunity for the company to play a key role
in the early stages of discovery and development of novel cancer medicines. The
identification and targeting of cancer stem cells allows for the exciting
possibility of being able to eradicate cancer from a patient, an outcome which
many current therapies do not provide."



About Cancer Stem Cells



It was previously believed that most or all cancer cells possess the ability to
self renew and replenish new cancer cells. In recent years, however, increasing
evidence indicates that only a small fraction of tumour cells have the ability
to reconstitute a new tumour. Existence of cancer stem cells (CSCs), which are
believed to have a role in initiating and sustaining tumour growth, was first
documented for leukaemia but has now been extended to include solid tumours,
including breast cancer. The properties of these rare but important CSCs mean
they have immediate clinical implications. Studies indicate CSCs have high
levels of multi-drug resistance, which make them difficult to target with
current cytotoxic therapies, and they also appear to be less susceptible to
immunotherapy treatments. This in part is believed to be the reason why current
treatment regimes fail and patients frequently suffer relapses. Despite the
clear importance of CSCs in the perpetuation of cancers, currently very little
is understood about their biological and molecular nature properties, hence
there is the urgent need for high quality research to be undertaken if novel
therapies targeting CSCs are to be developed.



                                    - ends -



For more information, please contact:


VASTox
Steven Lee, PhD, Chief Executive Officer                 Tel: +44 (0)1235 443910
Darren Millington, Chief Financial Officer


Citigate Dewe Rogerson
Mark Swallow / David Dible / Valerie Auffray             Tel: +44 (0)207 638 9571



About VASTox plc



VASTox is a chemical genomics biotechnology company that discovers and develops
proprietary novel drugs and provides services to the pharmaceutical industry.
The company's most advanced drug development programme is focused on developing
a new treatment for Duchenne muscular dystrophy based on the up-regulation of
utrophin. A second drug development programme for spinal muscular atrophy is
also progressing rapidly. VASTox has additional programmes focused on
osteoarthritis, cancer, tuberculosis and stem cells, which are expected to be
out-licensed prior to entering the clinic.



The company's technology platform, which uses zebrafish and fruitflies, has the
potential to dramatically decrease the time and cost of drug discovery and
development. This is because using whole organisms allows it to carry out high
volume, high content screening that delivers data which is highly predictive of
the efficacy and toxicity of potential drug compounds in humans. VASTox is
growing revenues based on marketing its unique technology platform and its
chemistry expertise. The company listed on the AIM market of the London Stock
Exchange in October 2004.



Further information about the company is available at www.vastox.com.










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

NRAGIGDBIBBGGRR
Vox Valor Capital (LSE:VOX)
Historical Stock Chart
From Jun 2024 to Jul 2024 Click Here for more Vox Valor Capital Charts.
Vox Valor Capital (LSE:VOX)
Historical Stock Chart
From Jul 2023 to Jul 2024 Click Here for more Vox Valor Capital Charts.