Vantia Therapeutics Raises £4 Million to Fund Clinical Development of its Lead Compounds

SOUTHAMPTON, England, July 6, 2011 /PRNewswire/ --

Vantia Therapeutics, an emerging pharmaceutical company developing novel, small molecule drugs targeting large areas of unmet medical need, today announces it has raised £4 million ($6.5 million) in a series B round. The round was co-led by Novo A/S and SV Life Sciences, and included MVM Life Science Partners, all existing investors in Vantia. The funds have been raised to advance the development of Vantia's two clinical candidates, VA106483 for nocturia and VA111913 for dysmenorrhoea, both of which are in Phase II trials.

Andrew Crockett, CEO, said: "I am delighted that our investors have committed these further funds to enable us to advance the development of our lead clinical candidates. We believe both these candidates have the potential to be important drugs in patients who currently have limited treatment options."

Dr Martin Edwards, Senior Partner at Novo Ventures and Chairman of Vantia Therapeutics, said: "Vantia has delivered some very encouraging initial clinical results with its lead programmes and we are pleased to continue supporting the Company as it moves these novel compounds forward."

An exploratory Phase II trial of VA111913 in the treatment of dysmenorrhoea (painful periods) showed promising evidence of reduced pain levels in patients receiving the drug candidate. VA111913 was well tolerated in the study and statistically significant differences between VA111913 treatment and placebo were seen for a number of efficacy endpoints, including treatment preference, and a trend to efficacy was seen in all other relevant endpoints. The study also identified a significant target population that derived a substantial reduction in period pain from VA111913 treatment.

VA106483 is currently being investigated as a new treatment for nocturia in a 30-patient clinical trial to evaluate the dose-response in men aged over 65 years with benign prostatic hypertrophy (BPH). This population forms the largest part of the nocturia market and represents the greatest unmet need. The results of this trial are expected in the second half of 2011 and will be used to support the design of pivotal clinical trials. Data from previous clinical trials, presented at the American Urological Association meeting in 2010, demonstrated a dose-dependent pharmacological effect and suggested that VA106483 has the potential to be an effective and well tolerated antidiuretic for the treatment of nocturia.

About Vantia Therapeutics:

Vantia Therapeutics is an emerging pharmaceutical company developing novel, small molecule drugs targeting large areas of unmet medical need. Its strong clinical pipeline includes VA106483 for nocturia and VA111913 for dysmenorrhoea, which directly target indications that together affect many millions of people, are poorly treated and represent billion dollar markets. Vantia's strategy is to develop its proprietary drug candidates through Phase II clinical testing and then commercialise through partnerships. The Company was founded in 2008 and is backed by specialist life science investors Novo A/S, SV Life Sciences and MVM Life Science Partners.

http://www.vantiatherapeutics.com

VA106483 - Nocturia

VA106483 is a novel small molecule drug candidate discovered by Vantia Therapeutics and is in Phase II trials to treat nocturia, a common condition that causes sufferers to wake frequently during the night in order to urinate, thus interrupting sleep. VA106483 acts directly in the collecting ducts of the kidney by binding to vasopressin V2 receptors.

Nocturia increases markedly with age and is often the presenting symptom in men with benign prostatic hypertrophy (BPH), affecting at least 70% of the more than 15 million BPH patients in the United States and Europe. Treatments for BPH, such as alpha-blockers, have little effect on nocturia and given the significant limitations of other therapies, there are few options available to patients.

VA111913 - Dysmenorrhoea

VA111913 is a small molecule oral drug candidate, discovered by Vantia Therapeutics, and in clinical development for the treatment of dysmenorrhoea, a condition characterised by abnormal contractions of the uterus during menstruation causing severe, and often debilitating pain.

VA111913 acts by blocking vasopressin V1a receptors in the uterus wall to reduce abnormal contraction, thereby offering the potential to be the first drug that directly targets the cause of the pain associated with dysmenorrhoea.

There are currently no targeted therapies for dysmenorrhoea and treatments in common use include over-the-counter painkillers or oral contraceptives used 'off-label'. The market opportunity for a targeted drug for the management of dysmenorrhoea is estimated to be in excess of US$1 billion per year.

Contact details:
Vantia Therapeutics
Andrew Crockett, CEO : +44(0)238-076-3456 /+44(0)787-255-9676
info@vantia.com

Citigate Dewe Rogerson
Chris Gardner / Mark Swallow / Nina Enegren : +44(0)207-638-9571
vantia@citigatedr.co.uk