SR Pharma Completes Name Change to Silence Therapeutics plc

    LONDON, May 4 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Silence Therapeutics plc, a
 leading European RNAi therapeutics company, today announces that the
 Company's name change from SR Pharma plc has been completed. The new
 company name, Silence Therapeutics, and corporate identity have been put in
 place to better reflect the Company's core focus on RNAi, a therapeutic
 approach which seeks to 'silence' disease relevant genes.
     Silence Therapeutics is developing a broad pipeline of RNAi
 therapeutics based on its novel proprietary AtuRNAi molecules and systemic
 delivery system, AtuPLEX. Silence Therapeutics' in-house RNAi therapeutic
 programmes, which are in late-stage pre-clinical development, are focused
 on systemic cancer indications such as gastro-intestinal and non-small lung
 cancer. In addition, Silence Therapeutics has AtuRNAi molecules in clinical
 development via its collaborators Quark Biotech and its sublicensee Pfizer.
     Further information on Silence Therapeutics and its core RNAi
 technology is available on its new website www.silence-therapeutics.com.
     The Company is now trading under the ticker SLN on the AiM market.
     Silence Therapeutics plc (www.silence-therapeutics.com)
     Silence Therapeutics plc (LSE:SLN) is a leading RNAi company. RNA
 interference (RNAi) can selectively "silence" genes linked to the onset of
 disease.
     Silence Therapeutics has developed novel, proprietary short interfering
 RNA ("siRNA") molecules, AtuRNAi, which provide a number of advantages over
 conventional siRNA molecules as they show increased stability against
 nuclease degradation. In addition, the Company has developed a proprietary
 systemic delivery system, AtuPLEX. This enables the delivery of siRNA
 molecules to targeted diseased tissues and cells, whilst increasing their
 bioavailability and intracellular uptake.
     Silence Therapeutics has sublicensed the AtuRNAi compound RTP-801i to
 Pfizer through its collaboration partner Quark Biotech Inc. for the
 treatment of Age-related Macular Degeneration (AMD) and a number of other
 indications. This compound entered the clinic in early 2007. Silence
 Therapeutics has also licensed a further AtuRNAi compound, AKIi-5, to Quark
 Biotech Inc. This compound has been granted an IND for acute kidney injury
 and is expected to enter the clinic in 2007. In addition, Silence
 Therapeutics expects to begin the clinical development of its proprietary
 AtuRNAi therapeutic molecules for systemic cancer indications, such as
 gastrointestinal and non-small lung cancer, in 2008.
     Silence Therapeutics is based in London, UK, and Berlin, Germany, and
 is listed on AiM.
     About RNAi
     RNA interference (RNAi), a Nobel Prize winning technology, is one of
 the most exciting areas of drug discovery today. This is because it
 represents a completely new approach to selectively "silence" or inactivate
 disease relevant genes and as such it has the potential to create a new
 class of therapeutic products. RNAi could therefore offer a therapeutic
 approach to a broad range of diseases (cancer, infectious diseases,
 inherited diseases), many of which have been regarded as incurable and are
 not addressed by current therapeutics, therefore providing a large market
 opportunity.
     Forward-Looking Statements
     This press release includes forward-looking statements that are subject
 to risks, uncertainties and other factors. These risks and uncertainties
 could cause actual results to differ materially from those referred to in
 the forward-looking statements. All forward-­looking statements are based
 on information currently available to Silence Therapeutics and Silence
 Therapeutics assumes no obligation to update any such forward-looking
 statements.
 
 

SOURCE Silence Therapeutics Plc