Evgen Pharma plc

("Evgen" or "the Company" or "the Group")

Preclinical data on a new therapeutic target for SFX-01

 Lead candidate SFX-01 inhibits SHP2, a protein associated with a number of different cancer types

Evgen Pharma plc (AIM: EVG), the clinical stage drug development company developing sulforaphane based medicines for the treatment of multiple diseases, announces preclinical data demonstrating that SFX-01 is an inhibitor of SHP2.

SHP2 (Src homology-2 domain-containing protein tyrosine phosphatase-2) is a non-receptor protein tyrosine phosphatase that is associated with breast cancer, leukaemia, lung cancer, liver cancer, gastric cancer, laryngeal cancer, oral cancer and other cancer types.

In-vitro and in-vivo data generated by Professor Philip Eaton, Queen Mary University of London, demonstrates that SFX-01 modifies SHP2, inhibiting its phosphatase activity; this phosphatase is implicated in many aspects of cancer. SHP2 is involved in several cancer-related processes, including cancer cell invasion and metastasis, apoptosis, DNA damage, cell proliferation, cell cycle and drug resistance. SHP2 may therefore be a therapeutic target of great potential.

This exciting data provides another pathway through which SFX-01 may be a valuable anti-cancer agent in addition to its effects on the STAT3 pathway, thought to be the principal mechanism of action in metastatic breast cancer.

Further preclinical work is being conducted in cancer models and data will be announced in due course.

Dr Huw Jones, CEO of Evgen Pharma, commented: "SHP2 has been a target of some interest for a while, but to date attempts to develop an inhibitor have had limited success. We are delighted that the data generated by Professor Eaton demonstrates that SFX-01 acts on SHP2 in a novel manner and offers the potential for its use in a number of cancers with great clinical need."

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About Evgen Pharma plc 

Evgen Pharma is a clinical stage company developing sulforaphane based medicines for the treatment of multiple diseases The Company's core technology is Sulforadex®, a method for synthesising and stabilising the naturally occurring compound sulforaphane and novel proprietary analogues based on sulforaphane. The lead product, SFX-01, is a patented composition of synthetic sulforaphane and alpha-cyclodextrin.  

The Company commenced operations in January 2008 and has its headquarters at The Colony, Wilmslow, Cheshire, and its registered office is at the Liverpool Science Park, Liverpool. Our lead product, SFX-01, has demonstrated efficacy in a Phase II trial for advanced metastatic breast cancer. It has been used to treat over 150 patients in clinical trials and is well-tolerated with predominately mild side-effects.

Evgen shares are traded on the AIM market of the London Stock under the ticker symbol EVG.  

For further information, please visit: www.evgen.com