Update - Croma Phase II Trial

RNS Number:3270L
Henderson Morley PLC
21 April 2005




FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                                              21 APRIL 2005

                              HENDERSON MORLEY PLC
                                      (AIM)
                                        
                     FURTHER UPDATE ON CROMA PHASE II TRIAL

                                        
The Board of Henderson Morley plc ("Henderson Morley" or "the Company"), the AIM
listed Drug Discovery Company, announces that further to the update on the
current phase II trial currently ongoing in Austria and Slovakia, it has
received the following from Dr Martin Prinz, chief executive of Croma Pharma AG:

"Work on the ocular application of the ICVT Phase II study, which we are
currently conducting across six centres, is ongoing. However, I have to report
that recruitment has been far slower than originally anticipated. We have now
taken steps to try and improve the recruitment process including an awareness
programme with all doctors in the area, representatives calling on all
ophthalmic specialists and medical students have been recruited to hospitals to
encourage patients to take part in the study. We hope that these measures will
have an effect in speeding up the progress of the trial.

"Croma is still totally committed to the ICVT programme and will do everything
within our power to proceed as quickly as possible."

Henderson Morley's Executive Chairman, Andrew Knight, comments: "We are certain
that we have the right partner in Croma. Whilst, the results are significantly
later than we had first envisaged, it is important that shareholders understand
that it would be commercially undesirable for the Company to seek an alternative
partner and to start a new trial with a new partner in a new territory. Croma
has already committed significant funds to this trial, and the Board believes
that these improved measures will progress the trial.

"The Company continues to collect data on other disease areas relevant to ICVT
and to work on improving formulation. In conjunction, with our Business
Development consultant, Dr Daniel Kirrcherr, we are continuing discussions with
potential partners for the dermal application of ICVT and, as soon as we are in
a position to make an announcement in this respect, we will do so.

"The Company has sufficient funding through the first quarter of 2006, and we
will be providing a further update when the Company announces its preliminary
results within the next three months.

"I would like to thank shareholders for their continued patience and support."

                                    --ENDS--

Copies of this announcement will be available free of charge to the public at
the Company's registered office at Metropolitan House, 2 Salisbury Road,
Moseley, Birmingham, B13 8JS and at the offices of Brewin Dolphin Securities
Ltd, 34 Lisbon Street, Leeds LS1 4LX for 14 days.


Enquiries:

HENDERSON MORLEY PLC                                          Tel: 0121 442 4600
Andrew Knight, Chairman

BREWIN DOLPHIN SECURITIES LTD                                 Tel: 0113 241 0126
Neil Baldwin

H-B CORPORATE                                                 Tel: 020 7538 1166
Jon Levinson

BISHOPSGATE COMMUNICATIONS LTD                                Tel: 020 7430 1600
Maxine Barnes                                                Mobile 07860 489571
Dominic Barretto


Notes to Editors

Ionic Contra Viral Therapy

Developed in-house by Henderson Morley, ICVT is an innovative compound for
treating virus infections. It exploits the little known finding, that many of
the biological processes involved with virus DNA synthesis are sensitive to
local potassium ion concentrations.

ICVT uses a proprietary combination of two established drugs currently used in
cardiovascular medicine that have no prior use as anti-virals. The component
drugs used in ICVT cause depletion of intracellular potassium and inhibit the
replication of DNA viruses, while normal host cell metabolism and function is
only minimally affected. By combining two compounds that act on ion transport in
different ways, the antiviral effect is enhanced. This combination therefore
offers the prospect of preventing viral replication with little or no adverse
effects.

The anti-viral effects of the two drugs in ICVT are synergistic. The effects of
ICVT on host cell metabolism have been measured in a variety of cell lines and
the rate of cell metabolism is unaffected by prolonged incubation with ICVT.
Pilot human studies have not demonstrated any local or systemic toxicity when
used at anti-virally effective doses.

Additionally, the component drugs used in ICVT have a long history of being
widely co-prescribed in the treatment of cardiovascular disease. As such, ICVT
offers potential in the treatment of a range of viral infections for which
current therapy is inadequate, such as adenovirus.

The directors believe that no other antiviral treatments are under clinical
development for Adenovirus Keratoconjunctivitis, and if further studies prove
successful ICVT could address a sizeable market of unmet medical need.

ICVT is currently being investigated as a treatment for several other DNA virus
infections, and clinical developments will be reported in due course.

About Croma

Pharmacists G and K Prinz founded Croma in 1976 for the purpose of importing
emergency drugs. In 1986 it began distributing pharmaceuticals for eye diseases
and ophthalmological diagnostic instruments, and over the last decade Croma has
established a wide range of products and services that has cemented its position
as one of the leading European companies in the field of ophthalmics.

Croma has also established a large-scale GMP (Good Manufacturing Practice)
accredited manufacturing facility for ophthalmic products, which were
distributed throughout the territories.

With its distribution of Intra Ocular Lenses, Viscoelastics, ophthalmic lasers
and surgical instruments, Croma has established itself as a respected specialist
in the area of Cataract Surgery. In recent years Croma has, in collaboration
with the Institute of Pharmaceutical Technology and Biopharmaceutics at the
University of Vienna, developed various novel biopolymer derivatives for use in
the eye.




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