Animal Health Research

RNS Number:8384J
Henderson Morley PLC
03 October 2006


FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                                             3 OCTOBER 2006

                              HENDERSON MORLEY PLC
                                     (AIM)

                            Business: Drug Discovery

                        ANIMAL HEALTH RESEARCH PROGRAMME
                                      AND
                     SCIENTIFIC ADVISORY BOARD APPOINTMENT

The Board of Henderson Morley plc ("Henderson Morley" or "the Company") is
pleased to announce it has been working on a vaccine against Koi Carp Herpes
virus for the past 10 months, and is now ready to start field trials of a
candidate vaccine, in a collaboration with the Internationally renowned Hagerman
Aquaculture Research Institute, Idaho USA., under the supervision of the
Institute Director Professor Ron Hardy.

The Directors believe that these initial immunogenicity studies will produce
results within 6 months, that should enable Henderson Morley scientists to
optimise the vaccine formulation, with a view to securing a product licence from
the veterinary authorities as soon as practicable.

The Board is aware that the time taken to commercialise human products may be
significant, so products in the Henderson Morley portfolio targeted at animal
health may offer the prospect of nearer term revenue opportunities.

The market for ornamental fish is significant, estimated at 3.5 million homes in
the UK1 and 139 million fish in 13 million homes in the US 2, with koi carp
species being amongst the most popular and most valuable.

*In 1998, widespread outbreaks of mortality occurred in both fish farms and
ornamental ponds - when some 85% to 100% of infected fish died within a few
days. It was subsequently discovered that this disease was caused by a newly
isolated virus - Koi Herpes Virus (KHV). This virus has now been isolated in at
least 28 countries including the USA, Japan and the UK, and it has become a very
significant problem for Koi Breeders and enthusiasts. Once infected, a pond will
lose the majority of its fish within days, and no treatment or vaccine is
currently licensed in the UK.

The impact of KHV is very significant in the Koi keeping and breeding community,
with the National Fisheries Laboratory stating in its information notes on Koi
herpes virus as provided by the UK Environment Agency for the National Fisheries
Laboratory: "Due to the pathogenicity of the virus and difficulties with
detection the Environment Agency is very concerned about the potential impact of
KHV to carp fisheries within England and Wales".

To assist with the development of the KHV vaccine, the Board is pleased to
announce that it has appointed Professor Ronald John Roberts to its Scientific
Advisory Board.

Professor Roberts is Professor Emeritus, University of Sterling, Professor of
Aquatic Pathobiology and a Hagerman Distinguished Visiting Professor at the
University of Idaho, in addition to being a Scientific Advisor to the Lithgow
Group plc, he is Deputy Chairman of the EU's Food Standards Authority Veterinary
Panel.

Commenting Andrew Knight, Chairman of Henderson Morley said: "We believe that
Animal Health is an important area of development for Henderson Morley and we
are very pleased to welcome Professor Roberts to the Scientific Advisory Board.
As we concentrate on our Animal Health research programme, his vast experience
will be of enormous benefit to the Company and its scientific advisory board".

                                    --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

BISHOPSGATE COMMUNICATIONS LTD                                Tel: 020 7430 1600
Maxine Barnes                                               Mobile: 07860 489571
Jenni Herbert

BREWIN DOLPHIN SECURITIES LTD                                 Tel: 0113 241 0126
Neil Baldwin


Further information on Henderson Morley plc can be accessed through the
Company's website at www.henderson-morley.com

1. The Ornamental Aquatic Trade Association of the UK survey 2001

2. Market survey 2005 American Pet Products Manufacturers Association

*Source: Initial Isolation and Characterisation of a Herpes-like virus (KHV)
from Koi by Prof. R Hendrick et al, Dept of Medicine and Epidemiology,
University of California - 2000



                      This information is provided by RNS
            The company news service from the London Stock Exchange

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