Preclinical Development Candidate Selected for ...

(AIM: SAR)   15 August 2011



                         SAREUM HOLDINGS PLC ("Sareum")

    Preclinical Development Candidate Selected for Chk1 Inhibitor Programme
Sareum,  the specialist cancer drug discovery  business, The Institute of Cancer
Research  ("the ICR") and  Cancer Research UK's  commercial arm, Cancer Research
Technology   Limited  ("CRT")  are  pleased  to  announce  the  selection  of  a
preclinical development candidate from their joint research collaboration.

The  joint research  collaboration targets  Chk1 (Checkpoint  Kinase 1). Chk1 is
important  in controlling a cancer cell's response to DNA damage, which may be a
consequence  of the  cancer itself,  or intentionally  caused by chemotherapy or
radiotherapy.

Preclinical  model  studies  carried  out  at  the  Cancer  Research  UK  Cancer
Therapeutics  Unit at the ICR demonstrate that the Chk1 candidate, dosed via the
oral  route, in combination with the chemotherapeutics gemcitabine or irinotecan
significantly  reduces cancer growth  rates compared to  treatment with the same
dose of chemotherapeutic without the Chk1 inhibitor.

Further preclinical studies demonstrate the potential for the collaboration Chk1
development  candidate to reduce tumour growth when given as a sole treatment in
models  of certain cancer  types that are  believed to be  dependent on Chk1 for
survival.

Sareum's  CEO,  Dr  Tim  Mitchell,  commented:  "The  selection of a preclinical
development  candidate  is  a  major  milestone  for the collaboration that will
significantly  enhance the  licensing package.  Our research  indicates that the
selectivity  and oral dosing properties of  this candidate give it a competitive
advantage."

Professor  Paul Workman, Director of the  Cancer Research UK Cancer Therapeutics
Unit  at the ICR, said:  "The significant progress made  so far is very pleasing
and  highlights the  value of  partnerships between  industry and  academic drug
discovery  groups like ours.  There is further  important development work to be
done  so that patients can one day benefit from these drugs, and we look forward
to the progress of the compound towards the clinic."

Dr Philip Masterson, Associate Director at Cancer Research Technology, said: "We
are  working to select the  right commercial partner to  take the Chk1 programme
into  clinical development.  Our ultimate  aim is  that one  day, this drug will
become  available  to  treat  a  range  of  cancers and save more lives from the
disease.

Our  scientists have shown  that this drug  is promising in preclinical studies,
and  we hope  further research  will prove  that it  can be  used on  its own or
alongside chemotherapy and radiotherapy to destroy cancer cells in patients."

For Further Information:

 Sareum Holdings plc

 Tim Mitchell                                                     01223 497 700


 The Institute of Cancer Research

 Jane Bunce, Science Communications Manager                       0207 153 5106


 Cancer Research Technology Ltd

 Emma Rigby, CRT press office                     020 3469 8318 / 07050 264 059


 Merchant Securities Limited (Nomad)

 Simon Clements                                                   020 7628 2200


 Hybridan LLP (Broker)

 Claire Noyce                                                     020 7947 4350



 Media enquiries:

 The Communications Portfolio Ltd

 Ariane Comstive /' Caolan Mahon                             020 7536 2028/2029

 [e-mail]


Notes for editors:

About Sareum Holdings plc
Sareum is a drug discovery company, headquartered in Cambridge UK, that produces
targeted  small  molecule  therapeutics,  focusing  on  cancer  and  auto-immune
disease.  Sareum aims to  successfully deliver drug  candidates for licensing to
pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies at the pre-clinical or early clinical
trials stage.

Sareum's Chk1 kinase cancer research programme is a joint research collaboration
with  The Institute of  Cancer Research and  Cancer Research Technology Limited.
The  development  candidate  resulting  from  the  collaboration  increases  the
effectiveness of current cancer therapeutics in several in-vivo cancer models.

SKIL®  (Sareum Kinase Inhibitor  Library) is Sareum's  drug discovery technology
platform  that has so far produced the Company's Aurora+FLT3, Aurora+ALK, VEGFR-
3, FLT3  & TYK2 kinase cancer and  auto-immune disease research programmes. SKIL
can also generate drug research programmes against other kinase targets.

Sareum Holdings plc is listed on the AIM market of the London Stock Exchange and
trades   under   the   symbol   SAR.   For  further  information,  please  visit
www.sareum.co.uk

The Institute of Cancer Research (ICR)

·       The ICR is Europe's leading cancer research centre.

·        The ICR has been ranked the UK's top academic research centre, based on
the  results  of  the  Higher  Education  Funding  Council's Research Assessment
Exercise.

·        The ICR  works closely  with partner  The Royal  Marsden NHS Foundation
Trust to ensure patients immediately benefit from new research. Together the two
organisations form the largest comprehensive cancer centre in Europe.

·       The ICR has charitable status and relies on voluntary income

·        As  a  college  of  the  University  of  London,  the ICR also provides
postgraduate higher education of international distinction.

·        Over its 100-year  history, the ICR's  achievements include identifying
the  potential  link  between  smoking  and  lung  cancer which was subsequently
confirmed,  discovering  that  DNA  damage  is  the  basic  cause  of cancer and
isolating more cancer-related genes than any other organisation in the world.

·        The ICR is home to the world's leading academic cancer drug development
team. Several important anti-cancer drugs used worldwide were synthesised at the
ICR,  including the  FDA-approved prostate  cancer drug  abiraterone, and it has
discovered  14 preclinical  candidates  over  the  past  five  years.   For more
information visit www.icr.ac.uk

About Cancer Research Technology Ltd

Cancer  Research Technology Limited (CRT) is an oncology-focused development and
commercialisation  company that  realises cancer  patient benefit from publicly-
funded  research worldwide. CRT works  closely with leading international cancer
scientists,  their  institutes  and  funding  bodies  to  protect,  develop  and
commercialise  oncology-related  discoveries.  CRT  is  wholly  owned  by Cancer
Research  UK, the largest  independent funder of  cancer research in the world.
Further information about CRT can be found at www.cancertechnology.com.







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Source: SAREUM HOLDINGS PLC via Thomson Reuters ONE

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