16 February 2010

 HALF YEARLY RESULTS FOR THE SIX MONTHS ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2009

Sareum (AIM: SAR), the specialist cancer drug discovery business, is pleased to announce its half-yearly results for the six month period ended 31 December 2009.

Financial highlights

·         Cash at bank at period end was £740,000 (2008: £531,000)

·         Loss on ordinary activities (after taxation) of £296,000 (2008: £848,000)

·         Placing of £815,000 (gross) in the period to advance cancer drug pipeline

Operational highlights

·         Research programmes making good progress

·         Progress in Chk1 cancer programme presented at NCRI cancer conference

·         Company showcase presentation at BIO-Europe, Europe’s largest biotechnology partnering event

Post period end highlights

·         Progress in Chk1 cancer programme published in peer-reviewed scientific journal

Dr Tim Mitchell, CEO of Sareum Holdings plc, said: “We have been actively progressing and marketing our cancer research programmes and the recent fundraisings provide us with sufficient cash for the foreseeable future.”

Sareum Holdings plc
Tim Mitchell	01223 497 700
Merchant John East Securities Limited
Simon Clements/Bidhi Bhoma	020 7628 2200
Hybridan LLP
Claire Noyce/Stephen Austin	020 7947 4350

The full report is avaialble as a pdf document: Financial Results for the Six Months Ended 31/12/10

Chairman’s Statement

Sareum continues to progress its in-house cancer drug pipeline, whilst managing the research spend such that we can drive the most promising lines of development to build the asset value of our programmes.

Sareum’s most advanced in-house programme is carried out in conjunction with one of the world’s leading cancer research organisations, The Institute of Cancer Research and Cancer Research Technologies Limited. This programme targets checkpoint kinase 1 which is important in controlling a cancer cell’s response to DNA-damaging chemotherapy. Successful in-vivo efficacy studies were presented at the NCRI International Cancer Conference in October 2009 and published in the peer-reviewed scientific journal, Molecular Cancer Therapeutics, in January 2010. Furthermore, the fifth patent application arising from the programme was published in January 2010 and the most recent data demonstrates that programme compounds have the potential to be efficacious by oral administration, as well as by injection. This is an important step forward in the search for compounds with the most competitive combination of attributes. We believe that compounds from this programme compare favourably with current best in class therapies, and these latest publications and data will assist in our discussions with potential licensing partners.

The Company’s other cancer programmes, targeting Aurora and FLT4 kinases, are progressing to plan, and continue to be evaluated in in-vivo efficacy models. We look forward to reporting the progress in these programmes over the coming months.

Coupled with this research activity, is a very active marketing campaign to licence these programmes to a pharmaceutical or biotechnology company partner. In November 2009, CEO Dr Tim Mitchell presented Sareum’s cancer drug discovery pipeline at BIO-Europe 2009, Europe’s largest biotechnology partnering event.

The recent share placings, in September and October 2009 provide sufficient cash resources for the foreseeable future whilst maintaining a significant investment in the Company’s pipeline of cancer programmes. We raised substantially more than our internal target and this is allowing us to bring forward some research spend in the programmes showing the most promise. The Directors were pleased to receive this support from investing institutions and retail investors, particularly in the light of the current economic climate.

Financial review

During the six months under review the group raised £815,000, before expenses, from two placings of new ordinary shares on AIM. £315,000 was raised in September at 0.2p per share and the remaining £500,000 was raised in October at 0.25p per share. The funds raised will underwrite the ongoing development of the group’s drug discovery programmes.

We ended the half year with net assets of £797,000, including £740,000 of cash in the bank. The Directors believe that the Company has sufficient cash to fund the business for the foreseeable future. A commercial deal on one or more of the research programmes would further increase the duration of its funds.

Outlook

Our primary objective is to progress our in-house cancer drug discovery pipeline to deliver drug candidates that are positioned to attract lucrative partnering deals with pharmaceutical companies. We will continue to advance these programmes and expect to develop further drug candidates for pre-clinical studies during the current financial year. We are actively seeking licensing partners with the aim of achieving a licensing deal on at least one of our current in-house programmes.

Dr Paul Harper,

Chairman, Sareum Holdings plc

SAREUM HOLDINGS PLC

(“Sareum” or “the Company”)

20 January 2010

 SAREUM HOLDINGS PLC (“Sareum”)

THE INSTITUTE OF CANCER RESEARCH, SAREUM AND CANCER RESEARCH TECHNOLOGY LIMITED

New Molecules Increase the Effectiveness of Certain Cancer Therapies

Scientists at The Institute of Cancer Research (“ICR”) and Sareum have developed novel chemical compounds that increase the effectiveness of current cancer therapeutics, an example of which is published in the latest edition of the journal Molecular Cancer Therapeutics^*.

These compounds originate from the Checkpoint Kinase 1 (“CHK1”) Inhibitor joint research collaboration between the ICR, Sareum and Cancer Research Technology Limited (“CRT”).

CHK1 is a key component of a biochemical pathway responsible for reducing the effectiveness of traditional cancer therapeutics such as chemotherapy. The collaboration has developed novel, potent and selective CHK1 inhibitors that, in combination with cancer chemotherapeutics gemcitabine (Gemzar) or irinotecan (Campto), significantly reduce tumour growth in preclinical models when compared to the chemotherapeutic alone.

The ICR, Sareum and CRT are encouraged that the significant recent progress made by the collaboration has been published in a peer-reviewed scientific journal and believe this will assist in discussions with potential licensing partners.

 * Walton, M.I. et al, “The Preclinical Pharmacology and Therapeutic Activity of the Novel CHK1 Inhibitor SAR-020106. Mol. Cancer Ther. (2010), 9(1), 89-100.

Professor Paul Workman, Director of The Cancer Research UK Centre for Cancer Therapeutics at the ICR, said: “These are very exciting times in cancer drug development. This collaboration has brought together expertise and experience at the ICR and Sareum in the discovery of molecularly targeted anticancer agents, and has effectively demonstrated the potential to use existing drugs more effectively and hence improve cancer management.”

Sareum’s CEO, Dr Tim Mitchell, said: “This publication exemplifies the success of the collaboration and the quality of research by the scientists involved. I look forward to discussing these latest advances with potential licensing partners.”

Dr Keith Blundy, CEO of CRT said: “This partnership further exemplifies CRT’s role in bringing benefit to cancer patients by forming partnerships between cancer researchers and industry to accelerate the development of new therapies. Sareum’s technologies and the expertise of ICR have added significantly to the rate of progress of this programme.”

ENDS

Media contacts:

Notes for editors:

About 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, spending 95 pence in every pound of total income directly on research.
• 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 drug development team. Several important anti-cancer drugs used worldwide were synthesised at the ICR and it has discovered an average of two preclinical candidates each year over the past five years.

For more information visit www.icr.ac.uk

About Sareum Holdings plc

Sareum is a drug discovery company, headquartered in Cambridge UK, that is focused on producing targeted small molecule therapeutics to address unmet medical needs, primarily in cancer.

Sareum aims to successfully deliver drug candidates for licensing to pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies at the pre-clinical or early clinical trials stage.

Sareum Holdings plc joined the AIM market of the London Stock Exchange in October 2004, trading under the symbol SAR.  For further information, please visit www.sareum.co.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.

16 December 2009

SAREUM HOLDINGS PLC 

("Sareum" or the "Company") 

Result of AGM

The Company announces that at the annual general meeting, held earlier today, all resolutions were duly passed.

Further to the announcement made on 19 October 2009, the Company confirms that its Nominated Adviser is Merchant John East Securities Limited and its broker is Hybridan LLP.

Enquires:

Notes for editors:

About Sareum Holdings plc

Sareum is a drug discovery company, headquartered in Cambridge UK, that is focused on producing targeted small molecule therapeutics to address unmet medical needs, primarily in cancer.

Sareum aims to successfully deliver drug candidates for licensing to pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies at the pre-clinical or early clinical trials stage.

Sareum Holdings plc joined the AIM market of the London Stock Exchange in October 2004, trading under the symbol SAR.  For further information, please visit www.sareum.co.uk

4 December 2009

SAREUM HOLDINGS PLC

(“Sareum” or the “Company”)

 Issue of Options

The Company announces that it has granted the following share options (the “Options”) to Tim Mitchell (Chief Executive Officer) and John Reader (Chief Scientific Officer) (together, the “Directors”);

The Options have been granted with an exercise price of 0.25 pence.

Of the Options granted to each director, 3,200,000 will vest immediately and are exercisable until 4 December 2019. In addition, the remaining 3,200,000 options will vest, subject to the discretion of the Remuneration Committee of the Company, on the date upon which a significant commercial deal is signed by the Company and are thereafter capable of being of being exercised until 4 December 2019.

The Directors do not currently hold any other share options.

Enquires:

Notes for editors:

About Sareum Holdings plc

Sareum is a drug discovery company, headquartered in Cambridge UK, that is focused on producing targeted small molecule therapeutics to address unmet medical needs, primarily in cancer.

Sareum aims to successfully deliver drug candidates for licensing to pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies at the pre-clinical or early clinical trials stage.

Sareum Holdings plc joined the AIM market of the London Stock Exchange in October 2004, trading under the symbol SAR.  For further information, please visit www.sareum.co.uk

(AIM: SAR)

24 November 2009

SAREUM HOLDINGS PLC

("Sareum" or the "Company")

Holdings in Company

The Company has been notified today that, following a sale of shares, Mr and Mrs Leonard Licht hold 56,700,000 ordinary shares in the capital of the Company, equivalent to 4.82 per cent. of the issued share capital of the Company.  

Enquires: 

Notes for editors:

About Sareum Holdings plc

Sareum is a drug discovery company, headquartered in Cambridge UK, that is focused on producing targeted small molecule therapeutics to address unmet medical needs, primarily in cancer.

Sareum aims to successfully deliver drug candidates for licensing to pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies at the pre-clinical or early clinical trials stage.

Sareum Holdings plc joined the AIM market of the London Stock Exchange in October 2004, trading under the symbol SAR.  For further information, please visit www.sareum.co.uk

20 November 2009

SAREUM HOLDINGS PLC

("Sareum or the "Company)

Availability of Report & Accounts

The Company announces that the report and accounts for the year ended 30 June 2009 has now been posted to shareholders and is available from the Company’s website www.sareum.co.uk.

Notes for editors:

About Sareum Holdings plc 

Sareum is a drug discovery company, headquartered in Cambridge UK, that is focused on producing targeted small molecule therapeutics to address unmet medical needs, primarily in cancer.

Sareum aims to successfully deliver drug candidates for licensing to pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies at the pre-clinical or early clinical trials stage.

Sareum Holdings plc joined the AIM market of the London Stock Exchange in October 2004, trading under the symbol SAR.  For further information, please visit www.sareum.co.uk

SAREUM HOLDINGS PLC

("Sareum" or the "Company)

Sareum to Present at BIO-Europe 2009

Sareum (AIM: SAR), the specialist cancer drug discovery business, is pleased to announce that Dr Tim Mitchell, CEO, will present Sareum’s cancer drug discovery pipeline at BIO-Europe 2009 later today.

BIO-Europe, being held this year in Vienna, Austria, is Europe’s largest biotechnology partnering event. Dr Mitchell’s presentation is part of the UK Showcase, an International Seminar introduced by UK Trade & Investment.

Sareum Holdings plc
Tim Mitchell	01223 497 700
Merchant John East Securities Limited
Simon Clements/Bidhi Bhoma	020 7628 2200
Hybridan LLP
Claire Noyce/Stephen Austin	020 3159 5085

Notes for editors:

About Sareum Holdings plc

Sareum is a drug discovery company, headquartered in Cambridge UK, that is focused on producing targeted small molecule therapeutics to address unmet medical needs, primarily in cancer.

Sareum aims to successfully deliver drug candidates for licensing to pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies at the pre-clinical or early clinical trials stage.

Sareum Holdings plc joined the AIM market of the London Stock Exchange in October 2004, trading under the symbol SAR.  For further information, please visit www.sareum.co.uk

Sareum Holdings Plc

(“the Company”)

 Total Voting Rights

 The Company announces that, pursuant to the requirements of the Disclosure and Transparency Rules, the total number of voting rights in respect of each class of share in issue and admitted to trading on AIM at the date of this announcement is as follows:

		Number of shares in issue		Numbers of voting rights
Ordinary shares of 0.025 pence each		1,175,597,713		1,175,597,713

 

Enquiries:  

Sareum Holdings plc
Tim Mitchell	01223 497 700
Merchant John East Securities Limited
Simon Clements/Bidhi Bhoma	020 7628 2200
Hybridan LLP
Claire Noyce/Stephen Austin	020 3159 5085

 SAREUM HOLDINGS PLC

(“Sareum” or the “Company”)

FINAL RESULTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 30 JUNE 2009

Sareum (AIM: SAR), the specialist cancer drug discovery business, is pleased to announce its final results for the year ended 30 June 2009. 

Operational highlights:

·         Strategic review and restructuring completed

·         Relocation of office premises, resulting in significant cost savings

·         On track with the development of cancer research programmes

·         Three further patent applications filed

Financial highlights:

·         Loss on ordinary activities for period (after taxation): £1.1 million (2008: £1.7 million), includes one-off re-structuring costs of £0.36 million

·         Cash in bank at period end: £0.27 million (2008: £0.48 million) 

Post year end highlights:

·         Placings to raise £815,000 (before expenses)

·         Based on current working capital requirements cash resources are sufficient for the foreseeable future

·         Progress in Chk1 programme announced at NCRI cancer conference in early October

Dr Paul Harper, Chairman of Sareum, said: “The Company now focuses all its research resources on its pipeline of anti-cancer programmes. We have established a world-wide network of quality research providers and progress on the programmes is on-track and in-line with their budgets.

The strategic review of the business, completed at the beginning of this period, resulted in the sale of Sareum’s service business and associated assets.  In parallel with this review, the Company made major cost savings through staff reductions and closure of its laboratories.

We are actively talking to third parties who have shown interest in one or more of our oncology programmes.  The most advanced of these is the Chk1 programme carried out in conjunction with the Institute of Cancer Research and Cancer Research Technologies Limited. This is a programme that attracts broad interest since it is focused upon potentiating the efficacy of a variety of marketed cancer chemotherapeutics, opening the possibility of better patient outcomes or of lower drug dosages to reduce toxicity.

The recent fund raisings will support increased investment in the development of our in-house programmes and satisfy our working capital requirements for the foreseeable future.”

For further information please contact:

Sareum Holdings plc
Tim Mitchell, Chief Executive Officer	01223 497700
Merchant John East Securities Limited
Simon Clements/Bidhi Bhoma	020 7628 2200
Hybridan LLP
Claire Noyce/Stephen Austin	020 7947 4350

Annual results 2009 available as PDF document: Annual Results 2009 

Sareum Holdings Plc

(“Sareum” or “the Company”)

Holdings in Company

 The Company was notified today, following transactions on 15 October 2009, Barclays Stockbrokers Ltd holds 97,286,058 ordinary shares in the capital of the Company, equivalent to 8.28 per cent. of the issued share capital of the Company. Barclays Stockbrokers Ltd holds the shares on behalf of its clients.

Enquiries:  

 Sareum Holdings Plc

(“Sareum” or “the Company”)

NOMAD Change of Name

The Company announces that its nominated adviser and broker, John East & Partners Limited has changed its name to Merchant John East Securities Limited with immediate effect, as part of a group reorganisation which is scheduled to complete on 1 November 2009. 

Enquiries:

 Sareum Holdings Plc

(the “Company”)

 Holdings in Company

The Company was notified on 14 October 2009 that, following purchases on 13 October 2009, Barclays Stockbrokers Ltd holds 91,170,906 ordinary shares in the capital of the Company, equivalent to 7.89 per cent. of the issued share capital of the Company. Barclays Stockbrokers Ltd holds the shares on behalf of its clients.

The issued share capital upon which the above calculations are based does not include the shares to be issued pursuant to the placing announced on 12 October 2009, which are expected to be admitted to trading on AIM on 19 October 2009.

Enquiries:

12 October 2009

NOT FOR RELEASE, PUBLICATION OR DISTRIBUTION, DIRECTLY OR INDIRECTLY, IN OR INTO THE UNITED STATES, AUSTRALIA, CANADA, JAPAN OR THE REPUBLIC OF SOUTH AFRICA OR ANY JURISDICTION IN WHICH SUCH PUBLICATION IS UNLAWFUL.

 Sareum Holdings PLC

(“Sareum” or “the Company”)

Additional Placing 

Sareum (AIM: SAR), the specialist cancer drug discovery business, is pleased to announce it has conditionally raised a further £50,000, before expenses, by way of a placing by Hybridan LLP of 20,000,000 new ordinary shares of 0.025p each in the capital of the Company (the “Placing Shares”) at 0.25p per share. This placing of £50,000 is in addition to the £765,000 raised by Hybridan in the placings which were announced on 8 September 2009 and 12 October 2009.

Sareum intends to use the proceeds of the placing primarily to progress its cancer research programmes.

Application has been made to the London Stock Exchange for the Placing Shares to be admitted to trading on AIM and it is expected that admission will become effective and trading will commence on 19 October 2009. The Placing Shares will rank pari passu with the existing ordinary shares of the Company.

Following the admission of the Placing Shares to trading on AIM, the Company will have a total of 1,175,597,713 shares in issue.

Tim Mitchell, Founder and CEO commented:

“Sareum has raised a total of £815,000 over the last two months which will enable us progress our cancer research programmes for the foreseeable future. We are delighted with this support from investing institutions.” 

Enquiries:  

This announcement is for information purposes only and does not constitute an offer or invitation to acquire or dispose of any securities or investment advice in any jurisdiction.

Hybridan LLP, which is authorised and regulated in the United Kingdom by the Financial Services Authority, is acting exclusively for the Company and no-one else in connection with the Placing and will not be responsible to anyone other than the Company for providing the protections afforded to clients of Hybridan LLP or for providing advice in relation to the Placing or any transaction or any other matters referred to herein.

Past performance is no guide to future performance and persons needing advice should consult an independent financial adviser.

The information contained in this announcement is not for release, publication or distribution, directly or indirectly, to persons in the United States, Australia, Canada, Japan or the Republic of South Africa or in any jurisdiction in which such publication or distribution is unlawful. The Placing Shares have not been and will not be registered under the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended, or under the laws of any state of the United States. This announcement does not constitute an offer to sell or issue, or the solicitation of an offer to buy or subscribe for, securities in the United States, Australia, Canada, Japan or the Republic of South Africa or in any jurisdiction in which such offer or solicitation is unlawful and should not be relied upon in connection with any decision to acquire Placing Shares or other securities in the capital of the Company. There will be no public offer of Placing Shares in the United Kingdom or elsewhere.

Notes for editors:

About Sareum Holdings plc

Sareum is a drug discovery company, headquartered in Cambridge UK, that is focused on producing targeted small molecule therapeutics to address unmet medical needs, primarily in cancer.

12 October 2009

NOT FOR RELEASE, PUBLICATION OR DISTRIBUTION, DIRECTLY OR INDIRECTLY, IN OR INTO THE UNITED STATES, AUSTRALIA, CANADA, JAPAN OR THE REPUBLIC OF SOUTH AFRICA OR ANY JURISDICTION IN WHICH SUCH PUBLICATION IS UNLAWFUL.

 Sareum Holdings PLC

(“Sareum” or “the Company”) 

Placing to raise £450,000

 Sareum (AIM: SAR), the specialist cancer drug discovery business, is pleased to announce it has conditionally raised £450,000, before expenses, by way of a placing by Hybridan LLP of 180,000,000 new ordinary shares of 0.025p each in the capital of the Company (the “Placing Shares”) at 0.25p per share. This placing of £450,000 is in addition to the £315,000 raised by Hybridan in the placing which was announced on 8 September 2009.

 Sareum intends to use the proceeds of the placing primarily to progress its cancer research programmes.

 Application has been made to the London Stock Exchange for the Placing Shares to be admitted to trading on AIM and it is expected that admission will become effective and trading will commence on 15 October 2009. The Placing Shares will rank pari passu with the existing ordinary shares of the Company.

 Following the admission of the Placing Shares to trading on AIM, the Company will have a total of 1,155,597,713 shares in issue.

 Tim Mitchell, Founder and CEO commented:

 “We are delighted to have been able to raise these funds, particularly considering the current economic conditions. The funds we have received over the last two months will help us  to significantly increase our research investment in the Company’s pipeline of cancer programmes for the foreseeable future.”

 Enquiries:  

 This announcement is for information purposes only and does not constitute an offer or invitation to acquire or dispose of any securities or investment advice in any jurisdiction.

 Hybridan LLP, which is authorised and regulated in the United Kingdom by the Financial Services Authority, is acting exclusively for the Company and no-one else in connection with the Placing and will not be responsible to anyone other than the Company for providing the protections afforded to clients of Hybridan LLP or for providing advice in relation to the Placing or any transaction or any other matters referred to herein.

 Past performance is no guide to future performance and persons needing advice should consult an independent financial adviser.

 The information contained in this announcement is not for release, publication or distribution, directly or indirectly, to persons in the United States, Australia, Canada, Japan or the Republic of South Africa or in any jurisdiction in which such publication or distribution is unlawful. The Placing Shares have not been and will not be registered under the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended, or under the laws of any state of the United States. This announcement does not constitute an offer to sell or issue, or the solicitation of an offer to buy or subscribe for, securities in the United States, Australia, Canada, Japan or the Republic of South Africa or in any jurisdiction in which such offer or solicitation is unlawful and should not be relied upon in connection with any decision to acquire Placing Shares or other securities in the capital of the Company. There will be no public offer of Placing Shares in the United Kingdom or elsewhere.

Notes for editors:

About Sareum Holdings plc

 Sareum is a drug discovery company, headquartered in Cambridge UK, that is focused on producing targeted small molecule therapeutics to address unmet medical needs, primarily in cancer.

 Sareum aims to successfully deliver drug candidates for licensing to pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies at the pre-clinical or early clinical trials stage.

 Sareum Holdings plc joined the AIM market of the London Stock Exchange in October 2004, trading under the symbol SAR.  For further information, please visit www.sareum.co.uk

Sareum Holdings Plc

(the “Company”)

Holdings in Company

 The Company announces, following notification today, that Mr & Mrs Leonard Licht have sold a total of 4,696,078 ordinary shares in the capital of the Company (“Ordinary Shares”).

 Following the disposals, Mr & Mrs Licht are beneficially interested in a total of 65,700,000 Ordinary Shares, equivalent to 6.73 per cent. of the issued share capital of the Company.

 Enquiries: