ReNeuron Group plc (LSE: RENE.L) today announced that it has received a Notice of Allowance from the US Patent and Trademark Office concerning a key patent application for methods of transplantation of neural stem cells.

The patent application (No. 09/760274) contains broad claims covering methods of treatment of different types of brain damage by the transplantation of conditionally immortal1 stem cells. The application encompasses cell lines produced by technology that makes those cells conditionally immortal, such as those generated using ReNeuron’s proprietary c-mycERTAM platform technology. Equivalent patents to this US application have already granted in Europe and other significant territories.

Dr John Sinden, Chief Scientific Officer of ReNeuron, said:

“This allowance is an important enhancement to ReNeuron’s already broad portfolio of proprietary and licensed patents covering neural and other stem cell types for therapeutic and other uses. As a result, the Company remains well-placed to aggressively protect its stem cell products and technologies from an intellectual property perspective as those products move towards the realization of their commercial potential.”

1. Conditionally immortal stem cells are those that, through modification, are capable of dividing indefinitely in vitro to produce stem cell lines, but whose division can be fully arrested by various means, such as removal of certain constituents present in the cell culture media.

Notes to editors

ReNeuron is a leading, UK-based adult stem cell therapy business. The Company is applying its novel stem cell platform technologies in the development of ground-breaking stem cell therapies to serve significant and unmet or poorly-met clinical needs.

ReNeuron has used its c-mycERTAM technology to generate genetically stable neural stem cell lines. This technology platform has multi-national patent protection and is fully regulated by means of a chemically-induced safety switch. Cell growth can therefore be completely arrested prior to in vivo implantation.

The Company’s lead stem cell therapy, ReN001 for chronic stroke disability, is in late pre-clinical development. The Company plans to file for approval to commence initial clinical trials in stroke later this year, with trials commencing as soon as possible thereafter.

In addition to its ReN001 stroke programme, ReNeuron has programmes to develop stem cell therapies to address Huntington’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, Type 1 diabetes and diseases of the retina.

ReNeuron has also leveraged its stem cell technologies into non-therapeutic areas – its ReNcellTM range of cell lines for use in drug discovery applications in the pharmaceutical industry.

The Company successfully completed its flotation on the London AIM market in August 2005, raising £9.5million before expenses. At flotation, the Company also issued warrants which, if exercised, will raise a further £5.7m for the Company by February 2007. ReNeuron’s shares are traded under the symbol RENE.L, and its warrants are traded under the symbol RENW.L.

Further information on ReNeuron and its products can be found at www.reneuron.com.

Further information

ReNeuron
Michael Hunt, Chief Executive Officer
John Sinden, Chief Scientific Officer
Tel: +44 (0) 1483 302560

Financial Dynamics
David Yates
Sarah Macleod
Tel: +44 (0) 20 7831 3113

This announcement contains forward-looking statements with respect to the financial condition, results of operations and business achievements/performance of ReNeuron and certain of the plans and objectives of management of ReNeuron with respect thereto. These statements may generally, but not always, be identified by the use of words such as “should”, “expects”, “estimates”, “believes” or similar expressions. This announcement also contains forward-looking statements attributed to certain third parties relating to their estimates regarding the growth of markets and demand for products. By their nature, forward-looking statements involve risk and uncertainty because they reflect ReNeuron’s current expectations and assumptions as to future events and circumstances that may not prove accurate. A number of factors could cause ReNeuron’s actual financial condition, results of operations and business achievements/performance to differ materially from the estimates made or implied in such forward-looking statements and, accordingly, reliance should not be placed on such statements.

The terms “ReNeuron” or “the Company” refer to ReNeuron Group plc and its subsidiary undertakings.

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